Over My Shoulder
by TheRealRenee
Summary: Chapter 39 now up \\ Set in a prestigious college, Lita and Stacy deal with some trials and tribulations. AU. Lita, Stacy, Edge, Christian, Shane McMahon, HHH, Stephanie, Jericho, Undertaker, HBK, more
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N - This is a response to a challenge by Britney, aka YouThinkYouNoeMe. I started writing this in early 2003, long before 'The Bet' storyline involving Jericho, Christian, Trish and Lita ever came to be on RAW. Looks like the WWE _does _steal ideas from fanfics!_**

The young woman expertly parked her small car in the parking lot, feeling like a bundle of nerves as she gazed around the expanse of the campus just ahead.

She clutched her backpack's right strap, pulling it slightly higher up on her shoulder. Her hazel eyes widened just a tad as she took in the large buildings around her.

So, _this _was Cannon's Worth University...

Her stomach was all tied in knots, and she prayed she wouldn't have to use the ladies room so soon upon her arrival.

She consulted her small map of the campus, which included the dormitory facilities for the students. She already had a dorm - _and _a roommate, and, as she dug into the front left pocket of her jeans, fishing out the small piece of paper she'd been storing there, she read her roommate's name: Stacy Keibler.

Amy Dumas folded the paper as well as the map in her hand and entered the proper building. She was already registered for classes, as she'd done that over the school's telephone system a couple of weeks back. Likewise, she'd also met with Linda McMahon, the Dean of Students, shortly prior to that.

Amy tried her best to calm herself as she walked down the hallway, wanting only to present the best side of herself upon meeting the girl with whom she would be rooming. In her opinion, unfortunately, she tended to make poor first impressions. Regardless of whether or not she did so this time, she hoped Stacy was not a stuck-up bratty type...

As she finally reached the appropriate door, a couple of other girls glancing curiously at her as they passed her by, she took a deep breath, then knocked.

The door was answered after a beat, and a tall, pretty blonde smiled almost uncertainly out at her.

"Hi...My name is Amy, and-"

"Oh, you're my new roommate!" the girl said, her brown eyes friendly.

Amy nodded, and she felt an instant sense of relief. So far, this young woman seemed very nice.

"Well, come right in..." the leggy blonde said, holding the door open wider. "I'm Stacy, by the way..."

"I know...Nice to meet you." The two women shook hands.

Amy was surprised at how tall Stacy was, as she'd noticed the blonde was wearing canvas sneakers and not high heels. She guessed she had to be about five-eleven or even six feet. She herself certainly wasn't short at five-seven.

"Where are your other bags?" the blonde questioned as she glanced toward the door as though Amy had left her luggage out in the hall.

"I left them in my car," she explained. "I figured I'd come here first, meet you...catch my breath, and then get them later."

"Oh..." Stacy nodded and then her face brightened with a smile again. "I just _love _your hair! Such a gorgeous shade of red..."

"Thanks..." Amy said sheepishly, instinctively placing one hand to her head and touching her tresses.

"Sure..." the tall blonde quipped, then she pointed at one of the beds. "That one's mine," she said. "The other one is all yours..."

"Great..."

"Used to be Nora's, but she left..." Stacy's face went sad as she spoke, her eyes taking a somewhat faraway look all of a sudden.

"Who's Nora?" Amy asked curiously.

"My last roommate...She...She...well, she had to leave."

"Why?" the redhead asked as she placed her knapsack on the bed.

"It's a long story..." Stacy replied, shaking her head. "I don't want to bore you with it right now...So," she began, changing the subject and flopping down onto her bed. "I'm a psych major...What are _you _going to be studying?"

"Music - I transferred here. I always wanted to study here, but my parents didn't have the money."

"Cool...I heard they have a great music program here..."

Stacy proceeded to chat up a storm, but Amy found herself absorbing only part of it. She couldn't stop wondering about this girl Nora the blonde had so briefly mentioned...


	2. Chapter 2

_"Come on, you little tease...you know you want it..." the burly, broad-shouldered young man said, a cruel smile on his face. It was cute, the way she struggled, acting as though she hated him and wanted nothing to do with him._

_"No! I don't want _anything _from you!" the girl cried. "Don't you _get _it? We went out once - _once_, and it was the worst date of my life!"_

_He laughed. "Baby, you're so cute...You really know how to turn a guy on, you know? That little miss innocent act is adorable..." He reached for the hem of her shirt again, which caused her to slap at his large hands._

_"It is not an _act _- I don't like you, and I never will! Read my lips - leave me alone!!"_

_As the young woman turned to walk away from the despicable character, she realized she'd made a mistake. She never should have turned her back on the bastard... Because now he had her by the arm - and his grip was tight, and it hurt..._

_"Don't you ever walk away from me like that again, you little bitch! Do you know who you're dealing with?"_

_Despite the pain from his ironlike grasp on her upper arm, the young woman stared defiantly and indignantly up into his eyes._

_"Yeah - a bastard - _that's _what I'm dealing with!" she shot back._

_For such a response, the muscular man slapped her hard across her lovely pale face. Her head was rocked to the side by the force of the blow. Her eyes shut tightly, and, instinctively, she raised her hand to her cheek, knowing it was all red._

_"How dare-"_

_"Shut up!" he shouted, and now the girl felt the first stirrings of fear. Despite his height and muscular frame, she'd never really found him all that intimidating, but just a nuisance. However, now it was a different story - it was late, as she'd been at the college library, burning the midnight oil for a big exam. She'd become aware that he'd been following her shortly after leaving the building. And now, there seemed to be not a soul around._

_Before she could even react, the man tackled her to the ground, and she cried out in pain as her head struck a rock. When she got her bearings, she tried desperately to get up, get away, but the bastard grabbed her again, pinning her to the grass beneath his massive weight._

_"Let me-" Her words were suddenly muffled as his hand covered her mouth. She stared up at him fearfully, her eyes wide._

_"Not on your life, my sweet...Not until I get what I came for..." With those words, he moved his hand, reaching down to cup one of her breasts. She looked appalled as she stared up at him, her eyes wide with fright and shock._

_A few seconds later, she felt as though she were in the middle of some horrifying nightmare as he tore at her blouse..._


	3. Chapter 3

The tall, muscular young man smiled almost to himself as the recollections flitted through his mind, giving him an almost warm, tingly feeling.

"Hey, Levesque!" Coach Shawn Michaels called, waving a hand before his face. "What's with you?"

Paul Levesque looked up from his stance into the face of the other man, who looked slightly annoyed but concerned.

"We've got a play to go over here..."

"Sorry, Coach," Paul said, and he straightened up, readjusting his football helmet. At six-foot-four and two-hundred and seventy pounds, he was the star quarterback of Cannon's Worth's football team, the Badgers. "I guess I just had something on my mind..."

"That's pretty obvious," Michaels retorted. "Leave it off the field - whatever it is, it'll be back after this play."

Levesque turned his head to exchange glances with another player, Shane McMahon - his best friend not only in the college, but anywhere in the world.

Shane gave him a knowing look, then nodded.

"Sorry, Coach - it won't happen again."

"Damn straight..." Michaels said, then reached for his whistle and blew it.

As the team commenced their practice, Paul couldn't help but continue to be distracted. After all, it had been only under two weeks since the incident had occurred...

He couldn't afford to dwell on it. What had happened had happened. At least the damn little teasing, tempting bitch hadn't gone to the authories - at least not to _his _knowledge.

As he ran across the field, his gaze traveled all the way to the bleachers. There were only a handful of spectators today, as it was only a team practice - but he caught sight of the lovely vision sitting down at the very front row, watching him. She was here for _him_.

Stephanie - a tall, beautiful brunette with large, sparkling blue eyes, was not only Shane's younger sister, but his girlfriend as well. They'd met after Paul had graduated from high school and then come for an interview to get into this school. Her mother was the dean of students, and her father actually _owned _Cannon's Worth.

Despite having little in common with the brunette, Paul had begun courting her. As far as he was concerned, common interests didn't really matter. Stephanie was beautiful, sweet, intelligent and _rich_. What guy could ask for anything more in a girlfriend?

It was just too bad he couldn't get a certain _other _brunette out of his mind... One who'd claimed not to stand him but had gone out with him once, even though she knew he was with Stephanie.

At first, the young woman had been pretty much friends with him, although she'd initially expressed surprise when he'd asked her out - but she'd decided, after a bit of coaxing, to take him up on his offer.

The date had been horrendous... At least to _her_. Or, at least that was what the little tease had _claimed_.

The practice continued pretty strenuously for the next fifteen or so minutes, then ended when Coach Michaels blew into his whistle and waved a hand up high in the air.

As Shane approached him, Paul reached up to remove his helmet, freeing his golden shoulder-length hair - and, as he looked toward the bleachers again, he saw the girl...

She was standing beside another girl he knew by sight, Stacy Keibler. She had long, auburn-red hair and a very natural beauty about her. She was dressed in a black baby tee and blue stretch jeans, and he allowed his gaze to scan over her with appreciation. The corner of his mouth arched up in almost a smirk as he took in the sight of the big tattoo adorning her right shoulder.

The burly man turned to exchange glances with Shane again. The other man wore an amused expression on his face but gave Paul a knowing look...


	4. Chapter 4

Amy and Stacy sat down in a pair of upper deck seats in the bleachers, the redhead craning her neck a bit to get a better look.

The football players were in the middle of practice, and the coach suddenly called for a time-out. No wonder, as the big quarterback seemed quite obviously distracted.

"I wonder what's going on?" Amy voiced as she leaned closer to Stacy.

"I don't-" The tall blonde squinted just a bit, tilting her head to one side as she peered in the direction of the field.

"Oh, God..."

Amy turned her head sharply to fully face her new friend.

Stacy's eyes looked positively haunted all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?"

"That's...that's Paul Levesque..." the blonde woman murmured, and her voice was so soft, Amy had to strain to hear her.

"Who?" she asked.

"I never thought...After what happened, I just figured-" Stacy bit her lip, her brown eyes never wavering from the burly form of the young man with whom the coach was speaking.

"Stacy, what are you-"

Before the young woman could finish asking her question, Stacy Keibler bolted up from where she was sitting. In a hurry, she wended her way past other people who were still seated.

Amy, confused, stared after her for a beat, then stood up and followed after the blonde. She wondered what the heck had just happened to have spooked Stacy so badly, but she sensed that now wasn't quite the time to ask.

As she squeezed past the remaining spectators, she glanced back toward the field, her gaze instantly traveling toward the player who'd only moments ago had been talking with the coach. And she noticed something odd...

The guy seemed to be staring directly at _her_...

Shaking off the feeling, Amy finally made her way completely out of the row and rushed down the steps after Stacy. Only when they'd vacated the bleachers and made it to the ground did she speak.

"Stacy! Wait!"

The tall blonde barely turned back to look at her. As the redhead continued on, she caught the gaze of another young woman - and attractive brunette whose face wore the oddest expression as she watched her walk by. Amy wondered who she was.

Then, quickly putting the girl to the back of her mind, she continued to chase Stacy - which was not an easy feat considering the blonde's extra-long legs.

"Stacy!"

The leggy blonde finally halted in her tracks, as though waiting for Amy to catch up with her.

"What's wrong? What was _that_ all about?"

Stacy looked briefly into the other girl's eyes, then glanced away, her expression still one of great anxiety.

"I...I can't explain...Let's get out of here..."

Amy stared after her as the blonde resumed her speedy steps. She wondered if her new friend was going to let her in one what had scared her so badly and hoped the answer was yes...


	5. Chapter 5

Immediately after their practice, Paul Levesque and Shane McMahon made their way back to the locker room together.

The two friends kept to themselves and to each other, ignoring all the other guys as they walked.

"_Who_ was that redheaded chick?" Paul asked. "She's smokin'!"

"I don't know..." Shane replied, his eyes glancing around shiftily. "Never seen her around before. She must be a new student here..."

"Obviously...And she was with _your_ girl..." Levesque smiled, his brows quirking upward.

The other man smiled, his thoughts on Stacy Keibler. He'd been harboring a secret crush on the tall, leggy blonde for the last year or so - or at least it was secret as far as Stacy herself was concerned. As it was, he'd never even so much as spoken to the girl more than once in his time at Cannon's Worth.

"Hey, I got a good idea..." Paul said as they entered the room and made their way to their lockers - which just so happened to be beside one another. "Why don't we try - no, not _try_...Why don't we get with these chicks?"

"Come on..." Shane said with a laugh. "You don't even know that new girl's name..."

"True, but I know I'll _get_ to know it - and _her_..."

"Care to make it interesting?"

The burly football player didn't miss the look in his friend's eye - nor the challenge therein.

"You think you'd win, don't you? Just because your dad owns this damn place, and your family's got money comin' out of its ears, you're so arrogant, huh?"

Shane gave a confident little smile.

"I didn't say that..."

"But you were definitely _thinking_ it. Look, Shane O'Mac - I'll accept your damn bet - because that's how confident I am that my little plan's gonna work..."

"Well, I know _my_ part of it will...I bet I can get Stacy just like _that_..." Shane snapped his fingers for emphasis.

Paul smirked at his friend. Sometimes, the dark-haired man could be such a cocky prick.

"Okay..." Levesque said. "You're _on_, wiseguy..."

The two young men shook hands, sealing the 'deal.'

**_A/N: Sorry for this chapter being so short... I honestly didn't realize it was. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing - you're all awesome and I appreciate it! ;)_**


	6. Chapter 6

Amy chewed on the end of her pen as she poured over her calculus textbook. A spiral notebook also sat on her lap as she thought about the answer to the problem she was currently studying.

She was sitting in the library on campus, relaxing in one of the cozy chairs set up in the center of the space.

"Hey..." a voice called softly, and the redhead looked up to see a smiling Stacy, the leggy blonde taking a seat in the chair beside her.

"Hi, Stacy...What's up?"

"Oh, I just got out of my philosophy class..." the tall blonde said. "Professor Calloway is _so_ cool!"

"Calloway?" Amy questioned, and she dug into her bag for her program card. "That name sounds so familiar...I think I have him for one of my classes, too..." Then, she looked over the small paper, nodding. "Uh huh...I have him for my history class...I have that at two-fifteen."

"Good...you'll like him. He comes off as a little brusque at first, but you can see that he really loves teaching, and that he cares about his students."

"As all teachers _should_..." the redhead said, then sighed. "I hope I can make it through this calculus class without having to drop it."

"If you need any help, you're always welcome to come to _me_ - I've always been pretty proficient in math..." Stacy offered.

"Thanks, I'll probably need it...Listen, Stace," Amy said, closing her books and slipping them into her backpack, "I'm gonna grab some lunch - want to come?"

"I can't..." the blonde said with a shrug. "I have to go see the dean in a few..."

"What for?" The redhead hadn't meant to be nosy and just blurt out the question like that, but she was damned curious.

"It's...well, Dean McMahon sent a note to Professor Calloway during class, and..." Stacy shifted her brown eyes down for a beat. "She wants to ask me some questions..."

"Oh..." was all Amy said in response. Based on the other girl's answer, Stacy didn't seem like she wanted to offer anymore information, so she wouldn't press her. She wanted to ask what kind of questions the blonde was referring to, and what the topic of them could be, but she restrained herself. The leggy young woman was looking sort of uncomfortable as it was, and she didn't want to add to that feeling. Stacy had seemed jumped ever since the day before, when they'd been at the bleachers during football practice.

"Well," she said, rising to her feet, "I'll see you later. And good luck with Dean McMahon..."

"Thanks...Later, Amy..." Stacy called after her new friend.

When the redhead was gone, the tall young woman crossed her legs to get comfortable and leaned slightly back in her chair. She checked her watch, seeing that she still had a few minutes to kill. The dean's office was downstairs in this very building, so she needn't hurry.

Stacy had closed her eyes for a brief moment, so when she opened them again, she was startled to see someone standing directly in front of her.

"Hey, sorry...Easy there...I didn't mean to startle you..."

"It's okay..." the blonde said, one hand pressed to her chest. She forced a smile for the young man. "I just...Well, I didn't hear you come over, Shane..."

Shane McMahon's face brightened with a cheery smile...


	7. Chapter 7

As Amy was sitting in the cafeteria a short while later, a plate filled with fries and a cheeseburger in front of her - not to mention her calculus book - she was determined to finish this damn homework before the evening - a shadow suddenly fell across her vision.

She looked up to see a large, burly man with dirty blond hair and a rather large nose. He was smiling at her, and she found him somewhat familiar.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi." Although she felt uncertain, she reminded herself that this was school, and he had to be a fellow student. Besides, she was by no means an antisocial person.

"You're new here, aren't you?" the guy asked.

"Yes...yes, I am."

"I'm Paul," he announced. "Paul Levesque." He put his hand out to her.

The redhead continued to study his face as she shook his hand. She knew she'd seen him before...

"I'm Amy Dumas."

"Amy - beautiful name," Paul said with a smile. "So...mind if I join you?"

The young woman's gut was telling her to say yes, but then again, she didn't know anyone here other than Stacy - she should make other friends.

"No, not at all," she said. She closed her textbook and pulled her plate closer to her so as to make more room for him.

The big man sat down, and only then did she realize he'd been holding a plate of his own in his left hand. She wondered why she hadn't noticed that before.

"I'm on the school football team - I'm a quarterback," Paul told her, as though it would impress the redhead.

"Oh, no wonder you look so familiar!" she said.

"You were there during my practice the other day," he continued, as though finishing her thought. "Yeah, I noticed you there."

Amy nodded and smiled, not knowing what else to say. She suddenly recalled how nervous and even terrified Stacy had gotten being there and wondered why. The leggy blonde never _did_ tell her... She wondered if Paul would have a clue as to the answer, but she decided against asking him.

"So...Where are you from?"

"Fort Lauderdale...The weather's sure different here in Greenwich, Connecticut," she said with a slight chuckle.

Paul Levesque kept a pleasant smile on his face as he listened to her speak. He found himself thinking what a beautiful, lilting voice she had - it wasn't a high-pitched, super-girly tone like that of her friend, Keibler - but still feminine and pleasing to the ear. And while she did seem to be a little rough around the edges - she was dressed in a simple pair of worn jeans and a black baby tee, and he'd noticed the black leather motorcycle jacket on the seat beside her, plus the tongue-piercing and tattoo on her right arm - she was still damn hot. A tomboy, by the looks of it - but Paul guessed she was probably a pretty easy lay - and a wildcat in the sack. He figured he'd find out sooner or later.

He wondered how Shane was making out with his own quarry. Earlier, his friend had told him he'd seen the tall blonde entering the library building, and he'd assured him he would follow and strike up a conversation with her...

...Much like Paul was now doing with Amy.

"So...What are you studying here at Cannon's Worth?" he asked, and he realized that, for the life of him, he honestly couldn't tell what that might be. Usually, he was pretty good at taking a look at a person and guessing what they must be majoring in. More than half the time he did that, he proved correct.

"Music, with a minor in art history," she replied, and he wondered why he was surprised at her answer. She sure didn't look the type to major in what _he_ was studying. "What about you?"

"I'm taking a double major in finance and economics," he replied. He didn't even notice the quick look of displeasure that crossed Amy's features. "That way, I'm able to be on the football team...you see, you need a certain amount of credits..."

The redhead nodded, feigning a smile. The truth was, she was restraining herself from glancing at her watch. Although this Paul guy was boring her, she didn't want to be overtly rude. However, she was usually a pretty good judge of character, and she sensed a superficiality to the guy that she didn't like.

She could only hope that Stacy would suddenly walk into the cafeteria and whisk her away, thus sparing her from having to deal with Paul any longer.


	8. Chapter 8

Stacy couldn't help the tiny smile that was playing at her lips as she entered the English building.

As she made her way to the room in which her Creating Writing class was to be held, she thought about Shane McMahon.

The young man had been really nice - and sweet - surprisingly so. She'd known him casually, in passing, for a couple of years now, since she'd been at Cannon's Worth, but she'd never really had a real conversation with him until now.

Before today, she had always thought of the dark-haired man as more or less the headmaster and dean's son. She'd even thought he was a bit stuck up, but now that she'd really spoken with him, she could see that she'd misjudged him. That was certainly a surprise - a _pleasant_ one.

The leggy blonde's face grew happier still as she entered the classroom, catching two familiar and very welcome faces inside.

"Hey, Stace!" One of two blond, long-haired young men stood up from his desk just a bit and waved at her. His handsome face wore a smile. Sitting at his right side was his best friend, who wore a bright, toothy grin on his own face.

"Jay! Adam!" the young woman practically squealed as she made a beeline for them. As luck would have it, there was an unoccupied desk at Jay Reso's left. Hastily, she took a seat, plopping her books down on top of the desk. The young man reached over, across his own desk to envelop Stacy in a hug as best he could manage in their current positions. She laughed and returned the embrace.

"Hey, Stacy!" the other, taller man said, and Adam Copeland leaned forward to meet her eyes from behind his best friend, one hand up in a wave.

She waved back.

"I had no idea you guys were in any of my classes!"

This is a surprise to us, too," the shorter man said, his blue eyes sparkling as he smiled at her. He couldn't help thinking how happy he was to see Stacy - and that she was just as breathtakingly beautiful as he'd remembered from last semester. "I... uh, I mean, we knew we were in this class, but not that _you_ also registered for it."

Adam burst into laughter and whacked him on the shoulder, which only caused Jay further embarrassment. God, Stacy must have thought he sounded like such a dork...

"I'm glad we're all together again!" the leggy blonde exclaimed, a bit smile still present on her face. Last semester, they'd all been in the same algebra class. "The Three Musketeers, reunited!" She pumped a small fist into the air playfully. And it was true, in essence, that the three had been like The Three Musketeers - they were very close and had hung out together all the time. "Are you guys doing anything after class?"

"No, not really," Adam replied with a shrug. "Nothing special."

"Great!" Stacy said. She looked from one of them to the other. "Then you can come with me - you can meet Amy."

"Who's Amy?" the taller young man questioned.

"My new friend and roommate," the leggy blonde said. "She's really cool - I think you'll both like her." She winked as she met Adam's green eyes. Inwardly, as she shifted her gaze to Jay, she thought, _I hope _you _don't like her more_... Stacy was actually a little shy to admit to Jay that she had a huge crush on him - and had practically the moment they'd become friends.

"All right, sounds good, Stace," the shorter man said with a smile. His blue eyes sparkled as he thought, _I bet I won't like her even_ half _as much as I like_ you, but he held his tongue. Stacy was such a gorgeous girl that, although they were such good friends, he was a bit intimidated by her. He would love to ask her out, but the way _he_ saw it, why would she want a guy like _him_?

The professor suddenly stepped into the room, and the three buddies grew silent, their attention now focused on her.


	9. Chapter 9

Amy was sitting on a bench just outside the English building, a textbook open on her lap.

She was waiting for Stacy, as she knew the leggy blonde was due from her English class at any moment. The redhead looked up to glance around at her surroundings. She hoped Paul Levesque would not just happen by.

Amy sighed as she recalled her meeting with the burly football player. The guy was just such a bore, but more importantly, he came off as extremely arrogant and cocky. She couldn't stand such traits in a person.

She had just closed her book as she heard Stacy's familiar, girlish voice calling her name. As she looked up, she saw the tall blonde girl nearing, one hand raised in a frantic wave, a big smile on her pretty face. Amy also realized that Stacy was not alone - two blond guys were with her.

She shoved her book into her knapsack, then rose from the bench, swinging the bag over her right shoulder. She reached for her bottle of Poland Spring water, a somewhat shy but curious smile coming to her face.

The taller of the two young men was wearing a pair of silver sunglasses, and he cocked his head as he studied her. She couldn't see his eyes because of the shades, but the way he tipped them told her he was eyeing her. She smiled shyly, his exceptional handsomeness not at all lost on her. Nor was the immediate reaction her body was having to it.

"Amy Dumas, this is Jay Reso," Stacy said with a grin as she grabbed hold of the shorter blond man's arm.

Jay smiled at her fondly, his right hand extended.

"Nice to meet you."

"Likewise," she replied, and her gaze then returned to the taller of the two young men.

"And this is Adam Copeland," Stacy announced, gesturing toward him.

"Hi," the redhead said, still slightly shy.

The tall blond lowered his sunglasses just enough so that his eyes were exposed to her, and her breath was nearly taken away. Adam Copeland's orbs were strange, yet beautiful. They were a very dark, almost olivish shade of green, which she'd never seen on a human being before.

"Hey," he finally said, and completely removed his shades, giving Amy a full look at his face. He was so exceptionally good-looking, with a strong jaw and other sharply handsome features, and those emerald eyes just made her feel weak in the knees. The other guy, Jay, was also very good-looking, but he was definitely not having the effect on her that Adam Copeland was.

"These two guys are really good friends of mine," Stacy explained, her gaze exclusively trained on Jay, which made Amy wonder if the leggy blonde might like him a bit better than a friend. "We were in a class together last year and became partners in crime, so to speak." She winked at the redhead. "I think you'd get along famously with them, too, Amy."

Amy's gaze traveled from her from her tall friend and roommate and then back to Adam. The tall blond man was studying her intently, and as their eyes met, he grinned at her.

Oh, God... She just about melted at that grin.


	10. Chapter 10

Adam found himself absolutely rapt as the four of them sat in the cafeteria together. He'd been carrying on a conversation with Amy while Stacy and Jay chatted about their respective summers.

"And so, I came up here from Florida," the pretty redhead was saying. "I never had any doubt in my mind that I wanted to attend Cannon's Worth University."

"Ahh," the blond man said, "so that's where you and I differ. I actually switched schools."

"Yeah?" She prettily arched one eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Adam smirked.

"Jay and I actually _had_ to switch - we go way back and seem to always go to the same schools together. And," the blond continued with a grin, "if he wasn't so occupied right now-" Adam winked at her as they both turned to eye his best friend and the leggy blonde girl, who was by now giggling at something. "-I'm sure Jay would put in his two cents. Anyhow, the school we came from was a lot more of a 'party' type university. It was too much... Not that I don't enjoy parties, but I went to college to _learn_."

Amy smiled at him.

"Well, I've got to run," Stacy said as she suddenly stood up. "I have my Biology class in..." She glanced at the slim watch adorning her left wrist. "... five minutes!"

Jay stood up as well, grabbing his backpack.

"I'll walk you to your class," he offered. "I have Calculus in a few myself, anyway."

The tall blonde grinned at him, then the two bid farewell to Amy and Adam and left.

The redhead met the young man's eyes and blushed at his intense, scrutinizing gaze. He was so impossibly handsome, and it sent ripples up and down her spine.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me now," the tall blond young man said, an easy smile touching his lips. Damn, was she easy on his eyes. He found himself more than glad that Stacy had gotten Miss Amy Dumas as a roommate this year. He hadn't seen her in any of his classes, so this was so fortunate.

The redhead seemed to Adam to almost read his mind as she spoke next.

"Yeah... I really like Stacy, too. It's nice to have a roommate like her." Adam seemed on the verge of saying something else, but a strange, recent memory struck her. "Speaking of which..." She lowered her voice a few notches. "... Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Did you know her last roommate?" The young woman cast around her brain for a beat, the name returning to her. "Nora?"

"Oh, Nora?" Adam asked. He looked visibly uncomfortable at the mere thought of that other girl. Amy frowned as she wondered what had happened to this young woman. Stacy had grown so sad when she'd so briefly mentioned her, and now the handsome blond man sitting across from her looked so ill at ease. She was so damned curious now.

"Look, you wanna get out of here?" Adam suddenly asked, standing and pushing back his chair. He reached for his tray. "Let's go outside and we can talk."

"Okay," she replied with a short nod. She wondered what was causing Adam to feel so uncomfortable - but whatever it was, it had to be pretty serious.

They left the cafeteria a few moments later and walked out onto the campus. Amy was glad it was still warm outside, as they made their way to a nearby bench to sit.

"I don't get it," she said. "What's wrong? Every time someone's mentioned this Nora, they seem so sad or uncomfortable."

"Well... yeah," the young man said, raising a hand to rake it through his long golden hair. "You're right... But there's a good reason for that." He kept his voice at a soft, discreet tone.

"What happened?"

"She left Cannon's Worth," Adam said. "She left because she'd been raped here on campus..."

Amy's eyes widened, her jaw dropping in shock and horror.

--

Paul Levesque stared out the window in annoyance, his already harsh features growing harsher. He and Shane McMahon had just left their finance class when he'd glanced outside, just below and beyond...

... Amy Dumas was sitting on a nearby bench, talking with another guy! What was more was that he knew the prick - it was Adam Copeland, who just so happened to be in his economics class the previous semester. Evidently, the asshole was on the make for _his_ girl, as they looked pretty damn cozy together.

"What's up, man?" Shane asked as he detected the look of utmost displeasure on Levesque's face. He followed his friend's line of vision out the window, a smirk crossing his features. "Oh, this is going to be the easiest money I ever made..."

All the comment warranted was a scowl from Paul.


	11. Chapter 11

**_A/N: Thanks for all the awesome reviews! I'm so glad this story is going over well. Thank you to JackieC98, WWECenaFan, Kennedy2006, Mosvie2k8 and Johncenapunkprincess - you guys have been great with all the reviews coming! Questions will slowly but surely be answered with more and more chapters. ;)_**

Amy listened to the rest of the story - that was, what few details Adam did know - with horror.

"It was pretty horrible," he said sadly. "They never did catch the guy."

The redhead shook her head, her heart thumping extra hard with the fear that, if the guy who'd raped Nora was still at large... And hell, she didn't even want to think about it.

"Didn't she know who did it?"

The tall blond man started to shrug.

"I would guess so. People kept talking about date rape," he said. "The truth is, I didn't really know her all that well. Jay and I always hung out with Stacy. Nora was... Shall we say, a bit more studious than us."

Amy arched a brow.

"Thought you guys switched schools because of too much partying."

"Oh, we did," he replied. "But Jay and I - and Stacy, too - we enjoy the occasion concert or hangout at a club or something else fun like that. Nora didn't do much of that. She was a bit religious, from what I remember Stacy saying about her."

"Oh." Amy looked down, not sure what to think. The entire idea of a girl who'd been a student here a mere semester earlier - and living in the same exact dorm room as she, complete with the same roommate - getting raped on campus was definitely more than a little unnerving. In fact, that was a great understatement because it totally freaked the hell out of her!

Adam seemed to be able to clearly read her thoughts as he suddenly reached over for her arm. His fingers brushed against it for a beat before he touched her shoulder.

"Don't worry," he said softly, his green eyes filled with concern and strength. "This place has bulked up on security since it happened... And I'm not bad at playing bodyguard, either."

The young woman raised her head, instantly meeting his forest green eyes at the words. She'd only just met Adam Copeland a couple of hours earlier, but there was just something about him... about the firm yet calm tone of his voice, the placid gentleness in his eyes, that made her feel so very at ease. He made her feel safe. She felt nothing but good, beneficial vibes emanating from the young man. And her vibes were very, very rarely wrong about people. Somehow, she knew she could trust Adam. She felt a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Thanks. That does make me feel a little better," she said.

He grinned a bit more widely.

"I'm glad." Then, glancing at his watch, the tall blond suddenly stood up. "Crap - I'm late for my Physics class. I gotta run. But I'll see you later, okay?" He grabbed his backpack, and Amy stood as well.

"I'll walk you over," she offered.

"Cool," Adam said. "You got a class at four?"

"Um... nope, not today, I don't."

"Great," the tall blond man said as they started the brisk jog over to the science building. "So, why don't you meet me right outside my class by then? If you're not too busy doing something else, that is."

"Sure, I'd like that," Amy replied. A soft blush seeped into her cheeks as a blush of shyness hit her.

As they continued on toward the science building, they failed to notice the furious glare and angry amber eyes accompanying it.


	12. Chapter 12

Amy returned to the dorm full of questions... Questions she needed answers to. The suspense was killing her already.

She entered the room to see Stacy lounging on her back on her bed, a small smile on the tall blonde's face.

Amy smiled herself, sensing she knew full well why the other girl looked so happy.

"Let me take a wild guess," she said, actually startling Stacy. It was then that she realized her friend hadn't seen or heard her come in. "Jay Reso..."

Stacy sat up, blushing but unable to conceal or contain the smile on her face, which grew to epic proportions. The mere mention of the young man's name had her feeling all giddy - not like a college woman, but like a middle school girl.

Amy sat down on the edge of the bed, her demeanor growing serious.

"Stacy, I need to ask you something," she said. She could not rid her mind of what Adam had told her earlier. In fact, she'd been thinking about it even during the class she'd just gotten out of mere minutes prior.

"Sure," the lanky blonde said. She repositioned herself to sit Indian style and leaned in intently.

The redhead took a deep breath, knowing full well that her friend was going to react badly about the subject she was going to broach. Last time it had been brought up, she'd turned white as a ghost and freaked out.

"Is it true your last roommate, Nora, was raped here on campus?"

Sure enough, Stacy blanched. She had to admit mentally, she hadn't been prepared for such a question. For some reason, she'd thought her friend was going to ask her a question or two about Adam. After all, she and the young man had seemed to take a definite liking to each other.

Momentarily, Stacy was struck speechless as it all came flooding back to her. She became lost in despairing thoughts, her head bowing at the memories, the heartache.

"I'm sorry," the redhead said, reaching out for the other girl's arm. "I'm sorry I brought it up." This was obviously difficult for Stacy, yet at the same time, Amy knew she got her question answered - and she knew what the answer was.

The blonde shook her head as she came back to her senses.

"No... No, I'm fine." On the surface, she knew she really did appear to be okay, but inside, she was crying, breaking, as she recalled the horror of what had happened to her good friend. She raised a hand to her face, bracing herself and then looked up to squarely meet the other young woman's eyes. "Yeah," she finally replied. "As a matter of fact, it is... That _did_ happen to Nora." She winced, unable to contain it.

Amy again placed a gentle on her friend's arm.

"Oh, God... Adam told me about this earlier. He said the rapist was never caught and no arrest had even been made." She shook her head at the horror of that fact. "And that the guy was probably a student still attending Cannon's Worth."

Stacy looked up sharply, fear penetrating her very soul. She felt so cold, absolutely icy and frozen inside. There had been so much speculation as to whom had attacked Nora, but never any definite answers. Only Nora herself knew the real truth of what had happened that night.

She shuddered as she told herself that wasn't entirely true... He too knew what really happened on that horrible, horrible night.

Stacy knew she would never be able to rid herself of the chill she felt... Not for the rest of the night would it leave her.


	13. Chapter 13

Paul smirked to himself as he kept his eyes glued on the shapely form sitting to his right and just a row ahead of him. It was the new chick, the redhead named Amy he was so focused on. He didn't bother taking notes, even though the American History class was indeed in progress.

"Mr. Levesque!"

"Huh?" He looked up, all traces of his smile vanished as he eyed Professor Mark Calloway. He hadn't been following a word the man had said up until he'd called his name.

"I asked a question," Calloway stated, clearly not amused. "The Civil War - it took place when?"

Paul glanced around, his eyes shifting down to the notebook he had open on his desk. He had no notes on today's lesson, and his textbook was still closed in spite of the fact that he knew the professor had asked the students to turn to a certain page. What page that was, he had no clue. Quickly, he opened the book and began to rifle through its many pages.

"Err..."

"'Err' is not the answer," Calloway said sternly, and several students began to laugh.

Paul looked up, annoyed. He didn't like being laughed at one bit, nor did he relish being made fun of by Mark Calloway.

He was fuming as another student, who he knew went by the name Jay, answered the question instead. And he responded correctly, at that.

Paul noticed immediately how Amy Dumas looked at the skinny blond guy and smiled, getting a grin in return as well. His right hand clenched into a fist. And then, as he looked back at Calloway in the front of the room, that fist tightened even more. He envisioned getting the man alone somewhere and beating him senseless. Of course, the professor was a huge man himself, nearly seven feet tall and at least three-hundred pounds... But Levesque knew the damage a tire iron or sledgehammer could inflict. He grinned to himself. Calloway would be no match for him.

The remainder of the class time seemed to drag on and on. The burly football player couldn't wait for it to end so he could get the hell out of there. He was rather looking forward to practice later, and seeing Shane. He managed to hold back a snicker as he thought about their little bet, and that the other young man had no chance in hell of winning.

Professor Calloway was still droning on about the Civil War. It was enough to make Paul not only yawn but want to lay his head on the desk and fall asleep. How anyone managed to stay awake in the man's class was a mystery to him.

With a clean page open in the notebook in front of him, he began to jot down some words. If Calloway happened to glance his way, he would probably think he was now taking notes. However, that couldn't be farther from reality, as he was writing a note.

--

Amy was startled at the feel of someone's finger suddenly poking her. She had been engrossed in the lesson going on but looked over her shoulder at the student sitting directly behind her. The young man had a neatly folded piece of paper in hand and gave it to her. Luckily, Professor Calloway didn't notice the exchange.

As discreetly as she could manage, she unfolded the note and read it.

_Dear Amy,_

_American history sure is a bore, isn't it? I can't wait to get out of here. Why don't we meet up after class? I'll treat you to lunch. I'd really like to get to know you better._

_- Paul_

The redhead stared blankly at the note, re-reading it. She wasn't all that surprised it was from him. At the same time, she wasn't exactly thrilled that he 'wanted to get to know her better.' But she supposed she could have lunch with him, although she thought it wasn't a good idea to let him treat her when she wasn't interested in anything more than friendship.

Calloway's back just so happened to be turned at that very moment, as he was writing on the blackboard. Amy turned toward her left, glancing over her shoulder at Paul Levesque. She smiled and gave a thumbs up.

Levesque grinned with confidence at the gesture. This bet was so his for the winning.


	14. Chapter 14

Shane smiled as he and his younger sister Stephanie walked across the campus. It seemed they never really hung out anymore, as they'd stopped having much in common since her high school days, but he was actually enjoying himself.

Of course, he very much would have preferred the company of the beautiful Stacy Keibler. He visualized her tall, long-legged form and soon realized that he was no longer paying attention to his present company.

"Shane?" Stephanie's voice issuing his name penetrated his thoughts, bringing him back around.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry, Steph." He turned to eye her and noticed she was giving him a somewhat strange look.

She pointed in the direction of the campus cafeteria.

"I just said I'm starved... Do you want to go eat something?"

The dark-haired man nodded.

"Sure... But wouldn't you rather go somewhere off-campus? You know, somewhere nice?" he inquired. Being the children of the college's owner, they could certainly afford lobster and caviar quite easily.

Stephanie shook her head.

"Nah... I'm not sure I can wait," she said. "I skipped breakfast this morning. Bad idea."

"All right, then." Shane placed a hand on the small of his younger sister's back and ushered her in the direction of the cafeteria. However, as soon as they entered the area, his jaw nearly dropped at who he saw. This would not be good, or pretty, if Stephanie were to see him - or more aptly, _them_.

"Hey, you know what?" he began, pulling her back out and placing himself in front of her, almost like a shield. He hoped she wouldn't catch on. "Why don't I go in and get us lunch, and we'll eat outside? The view is so much better there."

"What?"

"My treat," Shane said, placing a hand to his chest. "What would you like?"

The brunette told him what she felt like eating, giving him a couple of alternatives in case they didn't have her first choice.

"Very well," her brother said. "There's a free bench," he observed, pointing at one some yards away. "I'll come meet you in a few minutes."

Stephanie nodded and headed in that direction.

The young man allowed himself to exhale a held, deep breath only when he turned away. That had been a really close call.

He eyed his friend as he stepped into the cafeteria, and he smirked. Just because the redhead had actually gone ahead and was eating with him didn't mean he'd won the bet. Come to think of it, it didn't even mean they were on a date! Of course, he'd reacted as though it were when Stephanie had been at his side, but that was different. He knew she wouldn't react well if she'd seen her boyfriend eating with another girl.

Levesque ever so briefly looked up from his conversation and met Shane's dark eyes. It seemed a self-satisfied smirk crossed his face until he shifted his gaze back at Amy Dumas. If only the quarterback knew Steph had been _that_ close to seeing him here with her. Shane decided he would warn his friend later.

Amy glanced over her shoulder at the dark-haired young man who had just passed them by to go up to the lunch counter. She'd noticed the change in Paul's facial expression and figured he didn't like that guy for whatever reason.

"What was that all about?"

"Huh? Oh, nothing," the man replied. He shook his head and couldn't suppress a chuckle.

"Isn't he on the football team with you? Is he someone you have a problem with?" the redhead asked.

Levesque groaned inwardly. This was getting on his nerves. This one was a question asker, and he wasn't sure he liked that.

"Yes, and not at all. As a matter of fact, he's a friend of mine," he said.

"Oh." Amy remained silent as she wondered about the non-verbal exchange Paul had just had with the other guy.

A couple of minutes later, the young man actually headed toward them. Paul thought it over quickly, deciding he might as well introduce them. Beside, he wanted to rub Shane's nose in it.

"Hey, Paul," he said as he approached the table, sandwiches and other food and two drinks on the styrofoam tray he held in his hands.

"Hey, Shane," Levesque said, grinning pointedly at him. "This is Amy," he went on, gesturing to the redhead sitting across from him.

"Nice to meet you," the dark-haired man said with a nod and smile.

"Likewise."

After some small, meaningly niceties, Shane walked out of the cafeteria. He spotted his sister at that same bench and made a beeline for her.

"Here you go," he said as he set the tray down gingerly between them on the bench.

"Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he said. He decided that what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her.


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N: Once again, thanks to everyone who's reviewed this story. :) Okay, so here's the deal... This new chapter is the last one I currently have that's written and actually up on my website. I was debating about adding it here just yet, because you guys might have a bit of a wait for further chapters. No need to worry, I haven't been skimping out on writing this story, but it may take me time to get to the next chapters (since I tend to do all of my fic-writing on paper first). But I thought you all waited long enough for this, so here you are! Enjoy, and keep the reviews coming! ;)_**

"Come on, Jay!" Adam yelled at his best friend. "I'm starved."

"Just a minute," said the shorter young man. "Jeez, hold your horses!"

The two of them had just sat through the Calculus class they shared, and they'd planned to go to the cafeteria immediately after. Jay was fumbling with his bag, shoving his books and pen into it in a haste.

"I wonder if we'll run into Stacy," he said as they ran down the stairs of the building.

"Who knows?" Adam said. "I haven't seen her all day."

They reached the first floor and trotted out through the double doors to the outside. Students were strewn all around the campus, engaged in a myriad of activities. The two best friends didn't pay much attention to anyone until they were only a few feet from the cafeteria.

Adam's gaze hardened as he noticed a familiar and very unwelcome character walking past them in the way they'd come. He couldn't believe the nerve of that prick, or the fact that nothing had happened to him after what he'd done the previous year. Apparently, there was no justice. The guy didn't even notice his glare as he walked on by with his head up, a smug and somewhat self-satisfied expression on his ugly mug.

Adam nudged Jay, which got the shorter blond's attention. His friend hadn't been paying attention, but he instantly got wind of the reason the tall man had poked him.

Unlike his best friend, Jay had no qualms about openly turning to stare at someone. He made a face and turned back.

"That bastard," he said, shaking his head. "It's sick how some people get away with murder."

"You're telling me."

The two entered the cafeteria and nearly collided with someone who was just leaving.

"Amy! Whoa, sorry about that," the taller blond said.

"Oh, hey, guys! I didn't see you."

"We're grabbing some grub," Jay announced. "Care to join us?"

"Oh, thanks, but I just ate. But I'll tell you what - I'll hang out with you," she said.

"Cool."

It never occurred to either one of the two young men that Amy had just eaten with none other than the hateful guy they'd just passed on campus.

--

Stacy collected all of her books and stepped out of the classroom in a hurry. She knew Adam and Jay had just had a class that had probably just let out, and she wanted to see if she could meet them.

The leggy blonde made a brisk move toward the door and stepped just past the threshold when she dropped two of the books she'd been toting. She groaned and bent at the knee to pick them up, only to have someone else do that for her. She whirled around to see Shane McMahon standing there with a half-smile on his face. He handed her the two books, which she gratefully accepted, and with a smile.

"Thank you."

"Always ready, willing and able to help a damsel in distress," came his reply.

That comment elicited a soft laugh from Stacy.

"Need some _more_ help?"

The tall blonde smiled but shook her head.

"No, I think I'll be all right now. Thanks for offering, though."

They began walking down the hallway and toward the exit.

"It's no problem," the dark-haired man said. "I absolutely insist on carrying your books." He held his hands out, not taking 'no' for an answer.

Stacy couldn't help but grin. Shane was really nice to her, and she couldn't help it. Finally, she relented and handed them over to him.

"Cool." They walked a bit more until they reached the doors. They stood there together for a moment as the young man turned to face Stacy.

"So, listen," he began, "since I'm already carrying your books and all, I was wondering if you would like to... go somewhere?"

The blonde bit her lip as she glanced around the immediate area. She didn't see Jay and Adam anywhere, so she guessed she had missed them. Well, she could always catch up with them later. Besides, Shane was so nice. She wouldn't mind hanging out with him for awhile.

"Um, yeah," she finally answered after a brief hesitation. "Sure. I'd like that, Shane."

Shane's smile grew larger as he kept his thoughts in his head. If things kept going this smoothly, he was definitely going to win the bet. It could not have been more perfect. And he knew Paul hadn't gotten anywhere with Amy Dumas - at least not _yet_. He'd stuck around for awhile after Stephanie had gone to her class and seen Levesque on his way out of the cafeteria - _without_ the redhead.

This was good... Given the way the tall, leggy blonde was smiling at him, Shane figured he would be good to cash in on this little bet soon enough. He smiled even more deeply as he led Stacy clear across the campus.


	16. Chapter 16

**_A/N: Well, I got in another new chapter sooner than I thought I would! Special thanks to WWECenaFan, Kennedy2006, JackieC98 and KityKat-1 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys totally rock! Hope this one meets with your approval! ;)_**

"Well," Paul said with a smile, "it's been fun, but I gotta go study now." He rose from the table. That was actually a lie, as he wasn't the most studious individual in the world - but the girl didn't have to know that.

"Okay," Amy said, and she stood up as well. She decided she wanted to get a candy bar before she herself headed out of the cafeteria.

As Paul started on out, he scowled a bit as he saw those two blond twerps he knew were friends of Stacy Keibler's. They were heading inside as he was leaving. He gave them a brief look, not caring what they really thought of him.

"That prick," Jay muttered to his best friend as soon as Levesque was out of earshot. "I can't believe he hasn't been kicked out of school yet."

The taller blond cast a look over his shoulder, disgusted. He seconded his friend's sentiments. He turned back as they reached the cafeteria's door.

"Hey... Look who's here," Jay said with a gesture of his hand. His mood was instantly brighter as he saw Amy paying for something at the cash register.

"Sweet," Adam said, a smile coming to his face.

"You like her, don't you?" The shorter young man delivered an elbow into his ribs.

"Ow," came the exclamation. That had actually hurt a little. Adam ignored his friend's question as they made a beeline over to the redhead.

She turned around, nearly colliding with them.

"Ooh! Jeez, guys!"

"So sorry," Jay apologized. "You heading out?"

"I was," she replied, her gaze going from him to Adam, who remained silent but was smiling at her. "I'll hang for awhile, though. Classes are through for the day."

The trio located an empty table, ironically the very same one Amy had sat at with Paul Levesque. She opted to hold it for them while the two blond men got on line for some food.

"I wonder what happened to Stacy?" A pause. "Hey!"

Jay swatted at his friend, bringing his attention back on him. His gaze traveled to where his friend's eyes had been and snickered.

"You are _so_ smitten, man."

Adam eyed him and shrugged.

"So, what if I am?" he challenged.

"_So_.. Ask her out. I bet she says yes."

The taller man shrugged again. It wasn't that the idea hadn't already crossed his mind several dozen times. But he couldn't be so sure she was into him as anything more than a friend.

"I don't know... I'm not sure she looks at me as anything but friend material."

Jay rolled his eyes.

"Oh, come on, you chicken!" he teased. "How do you even know when you don't take a chance?"

"Oh, like _you_ do with Stacy?" the other man put out.

Jay reddened, hating the fact that his best friend had brought that up. Well, he _was_ right. He really did like the tall blonde, always had.

"That's different," he began, coming up with an excuse and going with it, "I'm just waiting for the right moment."

"Uh huh... Sure. You keep telling yourself that, Jay." Adam offered him a smirk as he swatted him in the back.

A few minutes later, the two best friends carried their respective trays back to the table, where Amy was sitting in wait. She was just finishing the last bite of her chocolate bar and looked up from the book open before her, smiling at them.

"Hope you don't mind me doing a little studying," she said.

"Nah, not at all," replied Jay. He set his tray down at the opposite side of the table, deliberately forcing his best friend to sit beside her.

Adam met his eyes, knowing full well exactly what he was doing. Well, it didn't bother him... Why _would_ it, to sit beside Amy Dumas? In fact, he preferred it that way.

As he sat and lowered his tray, he cleared his throat.

"So... What are you studying there?"

"Oh... American History," the redhead answered.

There was a small pause, and Adam suddenly felt a kick under the table. He shot Jay a deadly look. God, what a pain he could be sometimes!

"Hey," he went on, hoping she wouldn't be able to detect the nervousness in his voice, "Amy, I've been wondering..."

She looked up from her textbook to meet his green eyes.

"... Would you like to go out with me? To the movies or something?"

She blinked in surprise.

"Oh... Yeah, sure. That would be nice," she said with a smile.

Adam exchanged glances with Jay and saw that his friend had a sly smile painted on his face. He really did look smug.

"Cool... So, uh... How about Friday night?" Adam asked.

The redhead smiled, nodding.

"Okay... It's a date."

Jay quickly offered the other young man a wink.


	17. Chapter 17

**_A/N: Well, here's yet another update for you guys... I hate having weeks of gaps between updates in this story, but I think it should be updated a bit more regularly soon enough, as I've been jotting down LOADS of new chapters! And oh, the drama! ;) Thanks to KityKat-1, WWECenaFan, Kennedy2006, JackieC98 and Mosvie 2k8 for reviewing that last chapter. You guys are awesome as always! :)_**

"Hey, whatever happened to Stacy?" Jay asked. He glanced around as the three of them took a walk around campus. It was pretty late in the day, and none of them had anymore classes.

Adam shrugged.

"Good question. I figured she was gonna meet us at some point." He cast his gaze over at Amy, who shrugged as well.

"I haven't seen her since this morning," she revealed. Inside, she thought, _I hope she's okay_. It was a little unusual that the leggy blonde had been so scarce all day long. She wondered if maybe Stacy had met someone. However, as soon as that thought struck her, she felt badly for it. She knew Jay and her roommate seemed to take a definite liking to one another. So, why would Stacy go off with some other guy? But then, she had to remind herself that stuff happened all the time, and she really hadn't known the blonde all that long. Who knew what was going on?

--

Shane smirked beneath the rim of the beer bottle he was holding up to his lips. Whoever would have thought things could be this easy? He only hoped Stacy Keibler was the exact same way, and then he'd be home free. He saw the situation as perfect for him, and in more than one way: first, he would get to have sex. Not only that - it would be with a beautiful, very sexy girl. And two, he would get a wee bit richer for it when Paul handed over his money!

Stacy laughed heartily as she tossed her head back, downing more of her beer. She couldn't help herself. She'd never been much of a drinker, so she had basically no tolerance. One drink, and she was gone.

The two of them were in a darkened club called _The Rage_. It was one of the biggest hangouts for students at Cannon's Worth, and certainly worth it. Even on nights when bands didn't play, the atmosphere was awesome. People liked to hang out at the bar or on the burgundy leather couches set up for mingling and talking. Shane had hooked up with several young women right in this very club, and he was damn proud of that feat. But he was filled with the most pride over that one chick he'd managed to have sex with _in_ this very club. She was a hot little Asian number whom he hadn't even needed to get drunk to score. They'd just gone to a dark corner near the back of the club and had been discreet. As far as Shane knew, no one had been any the wiser.

"So, tell me, Shane," Stacy blabbered out with a giggle, "how did your daddy eva get ta be owner of Cannon's Worth?" She burst out in a fit of laughter as she clutched the bottle.

He grinned at her with amusement. God, she was hammered, absolutely plastered. And she'd barely even started on her second beer. It was kind of pathetic. He figured with the way this was going, he might actually have a repeat to his night with that Asian chick Angie, or whatever her name was. The mere thought nearly brought him to salivation.

"Well, Stacy," the dark-haired man replied, "my dad came from money and made more of his own from his own business."

The tall blonde laughed again, this time at the way Shane McMahon sounded. And the way he sounded to her was like an infomercial at that very moment. It was just too corny!

"So, with his own money, he had the school built, and the rest is history, as they say. He winked, raising his beer as though toasting to her. And what the hell... He _should_ toast her - after all, this girl was going to win him some pretty nice cash!

"What a great story!" The blonde brought the bottle back up to her lips and chugged away. She was clumsy, though, and a bit of the beverage spilled on her shirt. She let out a small yelp when she realized it.

"Hey there... Easy." That last word seemed to be the one he just couldn't get out of his mind that night. Oh, this one was so _his_ for the taking. He scooted closer to her on the couch on which they were sitting, a napkin in hand. But before he could even make a move toward her chest, Stacy laughed and snatched it away.

Shane stared at her for a moment, then looked elsewhere. His mind worked overtime as he considered another tactic.

"Hey, you want to just get out of here?"

"Yeah," Stacy said, finally no longer laughing, though she was smiling at him. "Why don't we go back to _your_ place?" She leaned in closer to him in a flirtatious manner.

The dark-haired man nodded and rose. He offered her a hand, helping her up, joy bursting inside of him. He _knew_ it! He was _so_ going to win! And actually, as far as he was concerned, he already _had_.


	18. Chapter 18

**_A/N: Thanks to Mosvie 2k8, KityKat-1, Kennedy2006, WWECenaFan, JackieC98, Jackie and lizzy-beth-lizzy for the last batch of reviews. You guys are awesome! :) I always get a kick out of the reviews you guys leave for this story, especially when you insult Shane and Paul, because it always cracks me up, LOL! :D I have a feeling in the next few chapters, you're going to hate both those guys even more. They don't appear in this one, but they'll be back soon! Hope you all enjoy. ;)_**

Jay bid his friends goodnight at nine. He and Adam were of course campus roommates, but since the other two were clearly growing closer, he'd opted to make himself scarce.

Amy felt a tiny smiling touching her lips as they simply went for a walk near school for awhile. It was most pleasant outside with just the slightest hint of a breeze. She was still so surprised about Adam asking her out earlier. When it hadn't happened immediately after the first time they'd hung out alone together, she'd wondered if it would ever happen. And she was sure happy it finally had.

By close to ten, they decided to call it a night. Besides, they would certainly stay out later when they went on their date on Friday night. The redhead was definitely looking forward to that.

The tall blond walked her back to her dorm building. They lingered a bit as they stood on the short staircase leading to the front door.

"So..." Adam began tentatively. "... Where do you want to go on Friday? Anywhere special?"

Amy was all smiles. She half-shrugged as she looked into his eyes.

"I'm not really sure," she said. "Why don't we just decide then?" She tilted her head to one side in a flirty manner. She was so attracted to him and was relieved to know he apparently felt the same way about her.

"Yeah, okay... Cool. We can do that," he said. "Makes things more spontaneous."

"Uh huh... And spontaneity is definitely a good thing."

Adam chuckled softly at that remark. He stared at her for a moment, then hooked a thumb over his shoulder. "Well, I'd better be getting back," he said. He couldn't stop staring at her now. But he couldn't help it - she was _so_ pretty.

"Okay," Amy breathed. She smiled and neared him, moving her face close to his. However, instead of kissing his lips, she got his cheek. It wasn't that she didn't _want_ to _really_ kiss him... She just wanted to wait for their date on Friday night before she did that.

The young blond man brought a hand up to his cheek, patting it where her lips had been. He smiled softly at her.

"Goodnight," he said.

"Goodnight, Adam." She brought up a hand to wave and then ran up the steps. She just missed the horribly dirty look that was shot their way from a small distance as she entered the door.

She was still smiling and even whistling as she fished for her room key in her bag. Quickly locating it, she almost skipped to her room. She figured Stacy would already be there, relaxing. Well, she could hardly wait to tell the blonde what had happened that evening!

Amy pushed the door open and started her story already. She couldn't help it, and oh well if her friend was sleeping. She'd get over it.

"Stace, you're not going to believe-" She stopped in mid-sentence as she stared into the strangely empty room. She frowned, wondering if Stacy had gone to the bathroom a short ways down the hall to prepare for bed. Yeah, that had to be it.

The redhead removed her knapsack, setting it on the floor by her bed. Then, she removed her shoes and snatched a magazine off the nearby dresser before stretching out on the bed and getting comfortable.

Twenty minutes went by. Amy glanced at the small digital alarm clock-radio on the nightstand between the two beds. _Where the heck is she_? she wondered. She was beginning to worry. Stacy was not the type of girl who partied or stayed out late... That was not to say that ten-thirty was really late, but the blonde tended to only really hang out with her, Jay and Adam. She wondered who she was with, if she was with anyone, where she was and what she was doing.

_Great_, Amy thought sardonically, _now I'm acting like an overprotective mother_! Still, she couldn't help it. In the still relatively short time she'd known Stacy, she'd come to think of her like a sister.

After five minutes of thinking it over, the redhead reached into her bag for her cell phone. Maybe the blonde had run into Jay on her way back. Yeah, she could see that.

She typed a quick text message to her friend, hoping for the response she wanted. He replied almost immediately.

_- Nope, she's not with me. I'm in my dorm with my nose stuck in a book. Hope she comes back soon._

Amy frowned, her mouth going slightly dry. She figured she was probably being a little irrational. She decided she would give it ten more minutes, and then...

Just then, the door flew open, and the tall blonde stumbled inside. The redhead was startled but relieved at the same time.

"Stacy!" she exclaimed, standing up. "I was getting worried about you."

The blonde giggled as she shut the door. One hand flew up to her mouth to stifle a hiccup as she clumsily made her way to her bed. She flopped down upon the mattress.

"Aww, that's sweet!" she quipped. "I'm fine."

Amy smirked as she eyed her friend with a once-over.

"You're drunk."

Stacy burst out into a fit of laughter, kicking and flailing with excitement.

"I know!"

Amy frowned.

"Shh! You're going to disturb the entire dorm." She held out her palms in a 'stop' gesture.

This time, the blonde grabbed a small lace throw pillow on her bed and placed it over her face as though to muffle her giggling.

"Okay, look... I'll grill you about everything tomorrow," the redhead promised. "But right now, I think you should do the same as me and get ready for bed." Inwardly, she thought, _And you're not gonna like yourself much in the morning_!

"Okay," Stacy agreed with a grin as she removed the pillow, "you win."

As the blonde followed her friend to the bathroom minutes later, she recalled Shane earlier. She hoped he wasn't too mad at her for puking in his room... But at least he'd been sweet enough to walk her back to her dorm.


	19. Chapter 19

**_A/N: Thanks to JackieC98, KityKat-1, WWECenaFan, lizzy-beth-lizzy and Kennedy2006 for the reviews of the last chapter. You guys are awesome! :) I figured you would all get a kick out of the little tidbit in the end of the chapter, the fact that Stacy puked in Shane's room! :P As for the "did they or didn't they" question, you'll get your answer in this new chapter. ;) Also, expect this story to be updated more frequently in the near future, because I've got a lot written now!_**

Shane scowled as he strolled back to his house. Being the son of the owner of Cannon's Worth, he wasn't like all the lowly 'peasant' students and didn't live at a dorm.

He couldn't believe what had transpired a bit earlier. Damn his bum luck! He'd been so close - so _very_ close - to scoring on the bet, and... well, _scoring_ in general. Stacy had been very cute and uninhibited while drunk. She had even come back with him to his room, but he hadn't counted on her puking on the carpet right beside his bed!

The truth was, he probably _still_ would have gone ahead and cashed in on a night with the slender blonde. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen an opportunity after she'd gotten sick, and frankly, the mood had pretty much passed when he'd had to clean up after her. He cursed himself under his breath.

_Next time, I won't ply her with so much alcohol_, he thought.

Shane's mood darkened even more as he neared the mansion his parents had purchased mere blocks from the university. As he reached for his keys, he caught sight of the smug look on the other man's face. Great... This was just about all he needed now.

Paul smirked at him, arms crossed over his burly chest as he leaned against the black wrought iron fence surrounding the massive property.

"So," he said, not bothering with a greeting for his friend, "struck out, did you?"

Shane glared at him, not at all amused with how Paul was enjoying himself.

"Fuck you, man."

Levesque chuckled and held up both hands.

"Sorry, buddy - you know I don't swing that way," he replied, unable to hold back another laugh. He really did find this situation most entertaining. "Anyway," he went on as Shane unlocked the gate, "I know what _didn't_ happen... but why don't you tell me what did?" He nudged his friend in the shoulder. "Come on, Shane, why'd you strike out?"

The dark-haired young man ignored him until he got up the stairs to the front door. After the thoroughly humiliating experience he'd had earlier, all he really wanted to do was hit the sack, fall asleep and forget about it.

He stopped at the very top step and sighed, sinking to sit down. As Paul joined him, he ran a hand through his hair and started explaining as he turned his head away.

"Well, I took her to a club and sorta got her a little drunk."

"Uh huh." Levesque rested his chin on his hand, thoroughly enjoying this.

Shane shook his head.

"She isn't much of a drinker," he said. "It didn't take much for her to get a little frisky. So we came back here, and..." His voice trailed off again. Paul may have been his best friend, but that didn't mean it was any less embarrassing to share this story with him than with a perfect stranger.

"And?"

The other man mumbled the rest of the sentence.

"Huh?" Levesque asked. "I can't hear you, pal."

"And she threw up all over the floor in my bedroom, okay? Are you satisfied now?" Shane shot him an annoyed look, but he knew he was more pissed off at the entire stupid situation than he was at his friend. After all, it wasn't Paul's fault Stacy had vomited in his room.

Booming laughter emerged from the bigger of the two men. He actually threw his head back and held his stomach, as it overtook him. To Levesque, this was pretty much the most hilarious story he'd ever heard!

"Oh, shut up!" Shane snapped, rolling his eyes. And who in hell was Paul for laughing at him? It wasn't exactly as though he'd done all that well himself in this whole scheme! He decided to remind him of that fact. "You're in the same boat as me, wiseguy... It's not like you've scored with that Amy chick yet!"

"'Yet' being the operative word, Shane," Paul said, casting his friend a pointed look as his laughter gradually subsided. "But don't you worry about that! I'll get her, all right, smartass... I've gotten much farther with her than you have with Stacy."

Shane gave a short huff of a laugh.

"Yeah, right... Maybe in your _dreams_." Paul was delusional. He'd gotten nowhere, not even close. At least _he_ had actually gotten Stacy in his room, on his bed. It was just too bad she'd gotten sick before their clothes had come off.

"The difference between us is you tried to get your chick drunk," the burly quarterback pointed out. "Me? I'm actually getting to _know_ my chick." He laughed again and slapped Shane in the back. "Don't you _get_ it, buddy? Chicks dig that."

Neither one of them realized that a certain someone was listening to every word they spoke.


	20. Chapter 20

**_A/N: Thanks to Mosvie 2k8, KityKat-1, Kennedy2006, lizzy-beth-lizzy and JackieC98 for the reviews of the last chapter. You guys still rock! ;) This new chapter is a bit calm and slow, so to speak, but there will be more drama next time, I promise! And you'll find out in that one who overheard Shane and Paul's little conversation. :P_**

"So... How are you feeling?" Amy asked, a slight grimace on her face as she eyed her roommate.

Stacy shut her eyes tightly and pulled her pillow over her face.

"Ugh... Can I just die?" she moaned. She had a raging hangover. It was her first ever, and she vowed it would be her _last_ as well.

"That good, huh?" The redhead shook her head. "How much _did_ you drink last night?"

"Just two beers, I swear!" the leggy blonde cried. "Can you get me some Tylenol?"

Pushing up from her seated position on her bed, Amy reached over into a bureau on her other side. She fished out the bottle of the painkiller, taking out two tablets and handed them to Stacy.

"Thank you." Stacy reached for the bottle of water on the nightstand between their beds and quickly washed down the pills. Hopefully, they would kick in sooner rather than later.

"Uh hmm." Amy sat there and thoughtfully studied her friend for a moment. "Stace... Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"Well..." She wasn't quite sure how to put this. "You were with that guy Shane last night, right?"

"Yeah," the blonde replied. "I was."

The redhead cocked her head as she eyed the other young woman. It was probably none of her business - it _was_ Stacy's life, after all.

"I thought... Well, I thought you liked Jay."

Stacy fixed her brown eyes on her friend with slight surprise.

"Oh. Yeah, I do like him," she admitted.

"So...?"

"So...?" Stacy echoed, shrugging.

Amy had to refrain from rolling her eyes. How could the blonde be so clueless?

"Well, then, how come you went out with Shane?" she asked.

Stacy shrugged again and placed one of her slender hands against her forehead.

"I guess it's just that I don't think he likes me back," she said. "After all, he's never asked me for a date or anything like that." She cast her gaze down at the blanket that was still covering her tall form.

Amy thought about that, biting her lip as she did so. She shook her head in exasperation.

"Well, what if I told you I knew for a fact that he was crazy about you?"

Stacy eyed her with surprise, and maybe a small glimmer of hope.

"Really?" But then, she wondered what she was thinking and feeling. She had been growing steadily closer to Shane, and she actually liked him. He was sweet, funny, caring... If only they hadn't gone somewhere that served booze!

"That would be my guess," the redhead said vaguely. She noticed the way their blond friend talked about Stacy, not to mention the way his eyes seem to glow when he looked at her. It was only logical that Jay wished for a relationship that extended friendship with her.

"Oh. If you're only _guessing_, then I guess it isn't really true." A pout seemed to cross the tall blonde girl's face. But then, she came back to her senses. "All that aside, though, I really _do_ like Shane. And I know he likes me."

"So? And you like Jay, too," Amy pointed out.

"But I've been getting really close to Shane. I like him," Stacy said with a faraway look on her face. "Besides, he's already taken me out."

The redhead rolled her eyes. She'd never even met this Shane character, but Stacy was kind of weird about him. It wasn't like they were exclusive or anything.

"Okay," she said, "so, just because he took you out one whole time, you won't give Jay a chance? You know - Jay? The guy you've liked all along since last year?"

"I didn't say that." Stacy winced, her temples throbbing. She raised both hands to her head, massaging the area. "Can we have this discussion when I'm feeling more... human?"

"Yeah," Amy replied. "Sure. Rest up, Stace." She smiled, reaching over to pat the girl on the arm before she got up.

"Where are you going?"

The redhead turned back as she reached for her pair of sneakers near the bureau.

"Oh, it's a nice day, so I thought I'd go jogging," she said. She slipped into the shoes and laced them. After that, she grabbed a scrunchy and pulled her long hair up into a high ponytail. "I'll be back in about an hour."

"'Kay," the blonde said with a small smile. "See ya later."

"See ya," Amy replied with a wink.

A few minutes later, the redhead was stretching, warming up for her run in a woodsy area of the campus. Unfortunately, she missed the eyes of the individual that was intensely watching her.


	21. Chapter 21

**_A/N: Thanks to JackieC98, lizzy-beth-lizzy, KityKat-1, WWECenaFan, Kennedy2006 and Mosvie 2k8 for the last batch of reviews. :) HehHeh... I think you'll LOVE this chapter, because there's a little confrontation here. And Amy starts getting some familiar original feelings about a certain someone... :P_**

Amy kept on with her jogging, glad it was early. No one was running along the path she was on. And the truth was, she preferred it that way.

However, it wasn't too long before she suddenly realized she was wrong. Judging by the sound of footfalls from somewhere behind her, she _wasn't_ the only one running here, after all. As she kept on moving, she could hear the other person getting closer, steadily closer to her.

She looked up just as the other runner caught up to her. Jogging practically right alongside to her right was none other than Paul Levesque.

"Hey there."

"Hey," she replied, dumbfounded. The truth was, she wasn't exactly thrilled that he was there. If she didn't know better, he had deliberately followed her. It seemed he always knew where she was, and how to find her. While she liked him enough to begin thinking of him as a friend, that sort of unnerved her. She stopped in her tracks, and he did the same.

The redhead stretched easily, pretty much close to being done with her routine. Paul, on the other hand, was huffing and puffing, completely out of breath. She eyed him warily as he held a hand to his chest, as though he were suffering an asthma attack. Lots of sweat was streaming down his crinkly brow.

"Are you okay?" she asked, frowning. In stark contrast to him, she had barely broken a sweat. It seemed strange that he would be so winded from running. After all, he was part of the football team.

"Swell," Levesque replied, making an okay sign with his fingers. In reality, he was heavily out of breath, sweating bullets, needed water badly and could just feel the beginnings of a charley horse building in his left calf. But there was no way he would tell Amy any of that.

As they stood there and she stretched beside him, Paul took the time to admire her trim, fit body.

Although she was normally quite oblivious to people checking her out, it wasn't the case this time. The redhead tried to ignore it, not wanting to let Levesque know that she was a bit irritated. Her running time was for her and her _alone_. Why couldn't he just go away? She was beginning to again feel the same familiar strains of annoyance she'd experienced when she'd first met him.

"Well, I'm gonna take off," he suddenly said, as though strangely reading her mind.

"Sure thing," came the reply.

Amy was relieved when he left a moment later. It was as though a great weight had been removed from her shoulders.

--

Shane's eyes snapped open abruptly at the feel of something being thrown on him. He looked over at the object on his chest and realized it was a medium-sized Teddy bear that belonged to his sister. And then, as he focused ahead, near the foot of the bed, he realized Stephanie was standing there, looking pretty angry.

"Steph... What time is it?"

"The time is not important," the brunette snapped. "But since you're awake, now you can answer a little question for me."

The young man sat up in the bed, confused as he eyed his younger sister. What on earth did she have to ask him, and on a Saturday morning, at that?

"Can't this wait till later?" he complained, settling back against the pillows.

"No! No, it _can't_, Shane!" In a flash, Stephanie was at the bedside and shaking him.

"Cut it out, Steph!" he grumbled. _Now_ he was beginning to get mad. She was usually a great sister who respected him and his right to sleep late on weekends. But clearly, something had gotten under her skin. He opened his eyes to stare at her. "What?"

"'What?!' You jerk!" Stephanie yelled. "So, that's what you two do when you get together? You made a _bet_ to see who could score a girl first?!" With the last six words, she gave her brother a hard shove in the chest.

Shane's blood ran ice cold. He simply stared at her for a full minute. Then, "How... How did you know about that?" He figured there was no use in denying it. Besides, he could probably end up winning the damn thing now if she knew!

"I _heard_ you two idiots talking outside last night!" She balled her right hand into a fist, pounding on the side of Shane's mattress. "I can't _believe_ you're condoning Paul cheating on me! You're my _brother_, Shane, and I thought we were friends!"

"We _are_, Steph."

"Spare me the bullshit," she replied in a now oddly calm voice. She held up her hand as though to ward him off. Her eyes closed for a beat, and the dark-haired man wasn't quite sure of what to do or say at this point. But he didn't have to do or say a thing as Stephanie suddenly turned and ran from his room.

He thought about the young woman's outburst for a few minutes afterward. She sure seemed upset. He wondered what Paul would say, and how he would react, when Stephanie confronted him. And, knowing his sister, he knew a confrontation _would_ happen, and it wouldn't be pretty.

Shortly thereafter, Shane found himself drifting back into a peaceful sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

**_A/N: Thanks to Mosvie 2k8, Glamarella, Kennedy2006, KityKat-1, WWECenaFan, lizzy-beth-lizzy and JackieC98 for the last bunch of reviews. I am SO glad you're all continuing to leave the awesome reviews - I always look forward to them after I update, because you're definitely making me laugh each and every time! :D I hope you enjoy this new chapter. ;)_**

Paul smirked to himself as he walked to the huge house. After his little run-in with Amy, he was feeling a bit hot and bothered. This was just the perfect excuse for him to visit Stephanie so early in the day.

He rang the doorbell, surprised when the owner and Headmaster of Cannon's Worth himself, Vince McMahon, answered.

"Good morning, Paul," the man said with a curt nod of the head.

"Mornin', Vince," the burly quarterback replied. He still got the feeling the old man didn't exactly like that he addressed him by his first name, but hey - they were practically family. And someday, they truly _would_ be, since he was pretty sure he and the man's daughter would eventually get married... Maybe after college. "Steph up yet?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, she is," McMahon said.

"Great. I'll go on up and surprise her, then." Without waiting for another response, Levesque started up the huge mahogany staircase to the second level of the very spacious dwelling. He took the time to stare around in awe, as he did every time he was inside this place. It was amazing to think that anyone could possess the sort of wealth the McMahons had. But he had to grin at the knowledge that one day, all of it would be _his_.

Paul reached his girlfriend's room, but the door was closed. However, he knew she was inside, as he could clearly hear music playing within from her iPod stereo system. He smiled to himself as he envisioned her reaction. How surprised she would be to see him this early on a Saturday!

In a moment, the door opened, and Stephanie appeared. Her face initially showed surprise, but it very quickly reflected a completely different emotion, one that shocked him.

"Go away, you asshole!"

The brunette tried to shut the door in his face, but Levesque held it fast, forcing it back open. What was the meaning of this?

"What? Steph, what the hell kind of a greeting is that?"

She glared at him, looking so angry he almost thought she was possessed. He had never, to his recollection, ever seen Stephanie quite so mad.

"The kind I give to lying, cheating bastards!" she yelled. Quick as a flash, she sprang out and started hitting him with her small hands.

_Jesus H. Christ_! Paul thought. _For someone so slim and dainty, she sure hits pretty hard_!

"Steph, stop it!" he shouted, getting annoyed. As he tried to calm her down, he didn't even notice Shane as he emerged from his room to listen from just out in the hall. "I don't know _what_ you're talking about, but I'm not cheating on you."

"_Liar_!" the brunette growled. She struck out and slapped him hard across the face. "Don't you dare even _try_ it! I'm not some idiot you can mess with, Paul! I heard you last night! You didn't think I did," she went on breathlessly, "but I heard you and Shane talking outside!" Tears were by now streaming down Stephanie's face. "About your little disgusting _bet_!" she spat.

Levesque stopped in his tracks, though his hands were tightly gripping hers in an attempt to thwart her from hitting him anymore. So, that was it... She'd found out. He should have been more careful. It was his own fault... Well, maybe not. Shane was prick enough to talk about things just outside his house, after all. No... He couldn't blame his friend.

"Steph, let me exp-"

"No!" she screamed, yanking free of his grasp. She tried to shove him out of her room. "We're done, Paul - _done_! Get out of my house!"

His heartbeat quickened most uncomfortably as he backed out, staring at her.

"But Steph-"

Her face contorted with fury again, Stephanie shouted, "Goodbye!" And she slammed the door in his face. He heard the distinctive sound of the lock being clicked into place. He knew he would never get in again.

Paul stood there, his mouth still open in shock, for a moment. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. It was all very much to take in, but it had really happened. That was it... It was over.

He turned around to see Shane standing there with his arms crossed, a sort of smug expression on his face. He shook his head, a 'tsk' sound emerging from him. If Levesque didn't know better, he would have thought his friend was amused... enjoying this.

Paul tore his eyes away from Shane and started for the stairs. He had to get out of there, and right away.

"Hey, man... You want to call off the bet, that's fine."

The bigger man stopped to give him a look from over his shoulder.

"Not on your life, hotshot."

He made his way down the stairs as Shane's laughter echoed through the area.


	23. Chapter 23

**_A/N: Thanks to Kennedy2006, JackieC98, WWECenaFan, lizzy-beth-lizzy, KityKat-1 and Glamarella for reviewing the last chapter! :) I'm thrilled at how great this story seems to be flowing, and that it's SO popular (my most popular fic up here, for sure!). More Stephanie to come in this new chapter... I'm considering writing a bit more of her, like maybe having her become actual friends with Amy and Stacy. Anyway, hope you all enjoy this new one! ;)_**

Stephanie sat in the back of the Calculus class, stewing. The weekend, as crappy as it had been for her, had been over far more quickly than she would have liked.

Professor Flair was going on and on, giving the students their lesson for the day. Normally, she had some interest in his lectures, as he was an excellent teacher who made class fun. However, today, she couldn't get her mind off the distraction a couple of rows ahead of her, not to mention, her breakup from Paul.

The brunette knew she was better off without him. After what he'd done, she never wanted to speak to him again. He didn't deserve her, but she deserved _far_ better. She knew that. She looked up from scribbling and doodling on the notebook page she had open before her. A pair of clear blue eyes were on her, watching her with intensity. She didn't know the young man very well, but she knew his name was Chris. She tried to ignore him, even when he gave her a smile. It wasn't that she meant to be cold, but she just wasn't in the mood to be nice to another guy yet. On the contrary, she was in that place where she _needed_ to hate all men.

She'd toyed with the idea of telling her father - or both of her parents - what Paul had done. She knew her dad, at the very least, would carry out some sort of punishment for his heinous actions. But she didn't do it for one reason and one reason only... If she told on Paul, she would have to tell on Shane as well. And in spite of the fact that he was a rat, Shane was still her brother, and she didn't want anything really bad to happen to him.

"And that's it for today as we're out of time," Ric Flair announced, checking his watch and the clock on the wall. "Remember to prepare for the quiz coming on Thursday. Have a good day, students."

Stephanie quickly gathered up her books and things, hurrying two rows ahead. She stopped beside another female studen, who looked up as a shadow fell over her.

Amy looked up to see the brunette standing beside her, over her. She didn't really know her, but she knew the young woman by sight and remembered seeing her at the football game her first day at Cannon's Worth.

Stephanie kept her voice low so as to not alert Professor Flair or any of the students still present in the room.

"You're Amy, right?" When the redhead nodded, she said, "We need to talk."

"We do?" Amy couldn't imagine what this was all about. She and the brunette had never so much as spoken two words to each other.

"Yes, we do. Come on, walk with me."

The redhead stared after her as she made a beeline for the door. In a hurry, she picked up everything and followed the other young woman.

"What's up?" she asked. She was completely in the dark as to whatever was apparently troubling the brunette.

Stephanie pursed her lips, not speaking as they went down the stairs. It was only when they exited the building that she spoke again.

"I have some information I'm sure you'll find quite interesting."

"Huh?" Amy was completely confused. She had no earthly idea what the other girl could possibly be talking about, but she was sure interested in finding out. "What do you mean?"

"Come on - let's sit for awhile," Stephanie said, temporarily ignoring the question. She led the way to one of the free benches nearby and placed her books to the side as Amy sat down beside her and did the same.

"Okay, basically... I know something you _don't_, and I think you'd want to know this."

Amy shrugged and eyed the other girl with impatience. Was this some sort of game? If it was, she had no interest in playing.

"Well, what is it?"

The brunette eyed her squarely, no traces of amusement on her face. Before she even spoke, the redhead knew she'd been wrong in thinking of a game.

"My boyfriend - I mean, _ex-boyfriend_ - has a little bet going on concerning you." When Amy said nothing, she went on to elaborate. "He and my idiot brother made a bet to see which one of them could get either you or your friend Stacy in bed first."

"What?" Amy's eyes widened a bit, but it sounded so ridiculous, her first instinct was to laugh. "Who's your ex-boyfriend?" As she asked the question, she knew right away who the girl's brother was, and it made her blood boil - Shane McMahon. But she wasn't sure of the boyfriend's identity.

"Paul Levesque," Stephanie replied dryly. "Bastard extreme to the max."

Inside, Amy groaned. She wasn't exactly surprised or too alarmed. She _knew_ there had to be a reason she hadn't initially liked the guy. What a dumb jerk!


	24. Chapter 24

**_A/N: Sorry for nearly a month's delay in updates. I have plenty of new chapters to be put up here, but I just need to find the time to add them! Forgive me - I recently started a new temporary job and haven't been around much lately... Anyway, there's now a new chapter up, hope you all enjoy it! And thanks a bunch to lizzy-beth-lizzy, FatesColliding,JackieC98, WWECenaFan, KityKat-1 and Kennedy2006 for reviewing that last chapter! :D And don't kill me for what happens in this new one! You'll see what I mean, a little discord, LOL!_**

Amy was practically reeling, and certainly seething over what Stephanie had told her moments earlier. The brunette had left her after about twenty minutes, claiming she had her next class. In spite of her shock of the revelation, she had thanked the brunette.

She instantly thought of Stacy, and of how her friend was being taken for a fool. She had to tell her the truth, and as soon as she saw her next.

Getting up from the bench, the aggravated redhead decided to stroll across campus to the cafeteria. She was supposed to meet up with Stacy, Adam and Jay for lunch at one. She was a few minutes earlier than the others and kept thinking about what Stephanie McMahon had told her. Lord knew, she wouldn't be able to rid her mind of it if her life depended on it.

One thing was certain - she wasn't going to tell Adam or Jay about this. She really didn't want to involve them, especially with the thought that they might want to pick a fight with Paul and Shane. She wasn't sure about the latter, but the former was really quite big, and he could probably hurt the two blonds. Besides, she could handle this thing on her own.

She perked up as she spotted Stacy approaching a moment later. The tall blonde was smiling as she toted her books, her bag slung over her shoulder.

"Hey," she said as she neared.

"Hey, Stace." Amy bit her lip, relieved that she'd arrived alone, and first. "Listen, I really need to talk to you before the guys get here."

"Okay. Whoa, what's wrong?" She frowned uncertainly as she realized whatever it was, judging by the redhead's expression, it was serious.

"Well, here's the thing... Stephanie McMahon told me her brother and boyfriend have a bet going - about which one of them can score with one of _us_ first."

Stacy's expression darkened.

"Whoa... Slow down. What?"

"They have a bet-"

"No," the blonde interrupted, "back up to the Stephanie part. _She_ said this?"

Amy nodded and said, "She broke up with Paul because he and Shane made a bet on us."

The leggy young woman shook her head.

"None of that makes any sense," she remarked. "The Shane part has to be a lie."

The redhead frowned.

"What?"

"Stephanie broke up with Paul, you said?"

"Yeah," came the response.

"Okay," Stacy reasoned. "So, maybe she was mad at her own brother for whatever Paul did because of their friendship."

Amy gaped at her friend. She couldn't believe the blonde didn't believe her!

"You don't seriously think _that's_ what happened!" she exclaimed.

"I think it is," the taller girl said. "Look, Amy - I _know_ Shane. He's been nothing but kind and sweet to me. He wouldn't do something so low."

The redhead's eyed widened as she stared at Stacy. She couldn't believe she had been so fooled, so taken by Shane McMahon - and in such a whirlwind amount of time, at that.

"Stacy, the bet was probably all Shane's idea!"

The leggy blonde's eyes narrowed.

"Why would you think that?"

"'Cause I don't think Paul's clever enough to think up something like that himself," the redhead answered. "Stacy, please... open your eyes. Shane is _using_ you - just like Paul was using me."

An oddly serene look suddenly crossed the blonde's features. She silently stared at Amy for a moment, then finally spoke, her words matching her facial expression.

"I don't believe you."

Those four words cut deeply into the redhead, and they downright hurt. She stared, incredulous, at her friend, nearly at a loss.

"How can you say that? How can you stand there and _say_ that to me?"

Stacy shrugged.

"I don't believe Shane would do such a horrible thing to me. He likes me."

Amy shook her head, so angry and frustrated she could have reached out and strangled the blonde... or at least grabbed her by the shoulders and shaken her. But she did none of those things.

"Fine," she said shortly. "Fine, you go on and believe him... and _don't_ believe _me_."

"It's not that I don't believe _you_, Amy. I don't believe Stephanie McMahon."

The redhead rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"And what purpose would there be for her to lie about her own brother?"

Stacy shrugged again.

"She's mad at her boyfriend, so she blamed her brother?" The blonde glanced quickly over her shoulder. "Look, I'm gonna go. You're obviously mad at me now, and I have something I need to do," she said. "I'll see you later."

Amy said nothing to try to stop her from leaving. Instead, she glared after her friend, fuming over her refusal to believe the truth.

A few minutes later, Adam and Jay came over. They both greeted her cordially. When she barely responded, the two blonds exchanged glances.

"Something the matter?" Adam asked. He studied her face, wanting to help.

"Hey, where's Stacy?" Jay asked.

The redhead shook her head and held up a dismissive hand.

"I don't want to talk about it."

The two men again exchanged confused glances as they followed her into the cafeteria.


	25. Chapter 25

**_A/N: Thanks to KityKat-1, lizzy-beth-lizzy, Kennedy2006, WWECenaFan, JackieC98 and Mosvie 2k8 for reviewing the last chapter. As always, you guys totally ROCK! ;) I knew the little misunderstanding between Amy and Stacy would go over well with you. :) Now, onto a little confrontation of sorts in this new chapter. Enjoy! ;)_**

The week seemed to go by surprisingly fast. That, however, didn't mean things were all rosy.

Amy was still miffed with Stacy, and the leggy blonde knew it. Due to that, the two young women pretty much avoided one another when possible. When that was _not_ possible, their conversation was very terse and meaningless. But as it turned out, Stacy was pretty scarce from their dorm for the most part.

On Wednesday, the redhead had her history class, the one she shared with Paul Levesque. When she got there, she simply ignored him and took her seat, fully focusing on Professor Calloway's lecture.

Once the class was over, Amy gathered up her stuff and rushed out. Five minutes before dismissal time, she had put everything but her pen and notebook away in her bag. That was because she'd wanted to be prepared so she could split. Levesque didn't even get the chance to stop her - until she made it halfway down the hallway.

She heard running footsteps from behind. Not bothering to turn around, Amy knew they belonged to Paul. When she felt his large hand suddenly on her shoulder, she whirled around.

"Don't _touch_ me!"

Levesque eyed her with surprise and held up both hands as though to appease her. He offered her a somewhat perplexed smile and shook his head.

"What?" He tossed in an innocent tone to his voice.

"Yeah, like you don't know..." she muttered. Her eyes narrowed. "I know what you're up to, but it's not gonna work. Not in this lifetime, and not in the next _fifty_!"

"Hey, what's gotten into _you_?" he asked defensively, the smile gone.

"I'll tell you what's _not_ getting into me," the redhead snapped. "_You_!" She glared daggers into him, a feeling of disgust overtaking her. "I knew you were trouble."

Levesque eyed her with slight confusion, unsure as to which event she had discovered. He decided to continue playing dumb to find out.

"Amy, I honestly have no clue what you're talking about."

"Sure, you don't... and your girlfriend dumped you just for the hell of it, huh?"

The burly football player relaxed to an extent. At least she was only onto the bet. Well, he could handle that. He laughed.

"Oh, that... It's all a big misunderstanding!" he said. "But me and Steph? We were on the outs, anyway." Shaking his head, he continued. "She just doesn't do it for me anymore. Get my drift?" He raised his brows suggestively and placed a hand on her arm.

Amy yanked out of his grasp, which wasn't easy as he tightened his hold on her.

"I said don't touch me!" she yelled.

"Is there a problem here?" a deep male voice suddenly cut in.

Both Amy and Paul looked up to see a concerned and annoyed looking Professor Mark Calloway standing a few feet away. He fixed his blue-green eyes on the scene, surveying the situation.

"No, not at all."

Calloway shifted his focus on Paul at his response. He didn't appear one iota convinced.

"Mr. Levesque, don't answer my question - it was meant for Miss Dumas." He looked sternly at the quarterback before speaking again. "Go on, get out of here."

Paul kept his mouth shut and trotted away. The big teacher then neared the redhead, his face softening.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Amy nodded, a sigh of relief escaping her.

"Yes... Thank you, Professor." She was eternally grateful that Calloway had intervened. Who knew what Levesque would have done had that not happened?

"If that guy gives you anymore trouble, please don't hesitate to come to me... or one of your other teachers. We're all here to help you, Miss Dumas."

She nodded again.

"I will... Thank you."

"All right," Calloway said, and he offered her a small, reassuring smile. "I have to go for the next class. Take it easy and be safe."

Amy could only manage yet another nod. She then watched the professor as he left.

The redhead slowly made her way out of the building minutes later. Her guard was way up as she stepped outside. She surveyed the area all around on the campus, fearful. Paul could be anywhere. What if he were to jump out from somewhere and bother her again? It seemed something he would do now that Professor Calloway had gone.

She swallowed hard as she took a slow walk across campus. Her hand shook as she reached around her side and into her bag for her cell phone. As quickly as she could manage, she typed out a quick text message to Adam and sent it away. She hoped he would see it as soon as his class ended and come to meet her.


	26. Chapter 26

**_A/N: Thanks to JackieC98, KityKat-1, lizzy-beth-lizzy and Kennedy2006 for reviewing the last chapter. Whoo hoo, almost 100 reviews! That's a landmark number for me! :D You guys are so awesome! Hope you're all having a terrific holiday! :)_**

Shane poked his head around rows of lockers. It was probably the fifth time he'd done that in the last fifteen minutes. And, lo and behold, Paul was still not there.

Moments later, he shot his head up as Coach Michaels' whistle shrilly blew in the locker room. The man hooked a thumb over his shoulder as he spoke.

"Outside now, gentlemen! Practice is already starting late as it is."

Guys being filing out of rows in their football uniforms. Shane was by now concerned. It wasn't like his best friend to blow off practice or even show up late. He approached Michaels, intending to simply pass by to go outside with the others. However, the man stopped him.

"Hold up there a minute, McMahon," the coach said.

The dark-haired young man eyed him silently.

"Where's Levesque?"

Shane shrugged.

"I don't know," he replied honestly. "Maybe he forgot about practice."

"I doubt that," Michaels said. "You and I both know how consistently dedicated he is when it comes to the game."

"True."

"Well, maybe he's just running a bit late," the coach said, more to himself as though thinking aloud. Then, facing Shane again, he said, "Go on."

The young man nodded and continued on his way.

By the time Shane was out on the playing field, Paul suddenly showed up in his uniform. He had his helmet in hand as he trotted across the way.

Coach Michaels instantly saw him and turned away from the rest of the clan, who were in the middle of warm-up.

"Hey! Levesque!" he called. "What happened to you?"

The quarterback stopped in his tracks, damning the fact that he got caught. He had somehow hoped Michaels wouldn't even notice him. He glanced around at the other guys, his eyes briefly meeting Shane's before he responded.

"Err... I got caught up in one of my classes."

"Oh, did you? Well then, you must have a note." The coach held out a hand, waiting for him to hand one to him.

Levesque shrugged.

"I don't have one," he dumbly said.

Michaels shook his head, giving the guy a look of pure disappointment. He knew something was up, and for some reason, he didn't expect the quarterback to indulge him with it.

"Well, that's not good," the coach said. "Because that tells me you just lied to me."

Paul just stared at him and didn't say anything. However, on the inside, he was beginning to really seethe. First, he'd dealt with Professor Calloway butting into his personal business, and now Coach Michaels was getting on his case. That in itself was bad enough, but for Coach to make an example out of him in front of the guys downright pissed him off.

Levesque faced the man, trying to keep his temper in check. It was difficult, but he seemed to succeed in the task.

"I'm not lying to you," he said. "Really." Paul noticed Shane intently watching and listening to the entire exchange from the second row of football players.

Michaels remained silent, eyeing him sternly for a moment. Then, he spoke.

"Okay, Levesque... We'll discuss this later. In the meantime, get in position and join the warm-up. And don't you let me down in today's practice!" Coach warned.

Paul swallowed hard as he took a spot beside Shane. He exchanged glances with his best friend and nodded.

"Yeah, okay... I won't, Coach Michaels." He began mimicking the warm-up exercises the others were doing, his gaze fixing on the coach. He could feel a tremendous surge of intense answer, one he could barely swallow down. But it wasn't just Michaels that had the emotion bubbling inside him.

The vision of Amy Dumas' face came back to him, fueling his anger. Who the hell did that bitch think she was, judging him? Worse yet, she'd had the nerve to reject him!

He would show her. When the opportunity presented itself, he would take it and run with it... He would teach the redhead a lesson, one she would never forget.


	27. Chapter 27

**_A/N: Thanks to JackieC98, Kennedy2006, WWECenaFan and lizzy-beth-lizzy for reviewing that last chapter. You guys are still totally awesome! ;) This time around, we see things from Stacy's perspective... Enjoy! :)_**

Stacy reflected on the fight she and Amy had had. It was strange and confusing... not to mention, more or less one-sided.

She walked across the campus, one destination in mind at that very moment. She couldn't understand it... Why would Amy tell her something like that? She hadn't meant to upset her friend, but she simply couldn't believe that Shane would do something so rotten. He was different - sweet, caring and thoughtful. He wouldn't ever use a girl like Amy was claiming... _could_ he?

_No, never_, the leggy blonde thought. _Not a chance._ She shook such thoughts from her mind and made her way onto the field bleachers. As she entered a row and took a seat, she couldn't help the big smile that suddenly adorned her face.

There he was... She could see him out on the field as the team practiced. Shane was looking especially great out there. Stacy shielded her eyes to the sun, which had just started peeking out from behind a large, fluffy-looking cloud. She wondered how long it would be before he looked up and spotted her. It wouldn't be difficult, as the bleachers were deserted at this time of day.

Coach Michaels suddenly blew his whistle, and he didn't appear happy. Stacy's smile faded as she realized someone had been fumbling and looked quite sluggish on the field a moment earlier.

"Okay, that's it, Levesque!" the coach yelled. "You're done for the day." He trotted over to the dumbfounded quarterback. "Get yourself straightened out and come back tomorrow."

The tall blonde frowned as she could hear Paul protesting. She couldn't make out his words, but it was obvious he was questioning Michaels.

"No," Coach said. "You're out for the rest of the day, and that's final." He turned to a player who was positioned way toward the back. "You - Irvine! Come over here, you're quarterback for the day!"

The considerably smaller blond made a slight run for the front.

Even from this distance, as Levesque removed his helmet, Stacy was able to make out the sour expression on his face. He glared at Chris Irvine as though blaming him for the position he was in before briskly walking away and off the field.

She shuddered slightly, creeped out. She knew of the rumors about the quarterback from the prior semester but didn't know how true they were. After all, there had never been any definite confirmation. Still, she didn't like the guy, and she wondered how Shane managed to be friends with him. They seemed about as night and day as two people could get.

As though reading her mind, the dark-haired man suddenly looked up, right at her, from his position on the field. He gave her a nod and a thumb up. On top of that, Stacy suspected he was smiling at her, but from this vantage point, she really couldn't tell.

As she sat there and continued to watch the team practice, the tall blonde suddenly became aware that her cell phone had dinged. She realized that she'd just received a text message. Sighing at being interrupted in enjoying the game, she reached into her bag for her phone. She flipped it open, noticing that indeed, she had received a text. She decided to open it and read the words on the small display.

_Hey. :-) How's it going? Long time no see. Was wondering if you'd like to hang out later? Let me know. _

_- Jay._

Stacy smiled as she closed the message and then flipped the cell phone closed. She decided she would reply to her friend later. For the time being, she'd rather been enjoying the practice game of The Badgers.

*

Forty minutes later, practice was over. Stacy made her way to the bottom of the bleachers, a smile present on her face as Shane jogged his way over. He reached up to remove his helmet and gave her a grin.

"Hey there," he said, eyeing her up and down as subtly as he could manage. He was impressed that she was here, obviously just to see _him_. Yeah, he was good... He knew exactly what kind of effect he was having on her. And it totally bolstered his ego.

"Good game!" the leggy blonde exclaimed, bursting with excitement. He was all sweaty and dirty, but she still found him incredibly appealing in that state. There was just something about him and his good old boyish charm.

Shane cocked a half-smile onto his face as he looked into her eyes.

"Thanks. Look, I gotta hit the shower, but how about we go out on the town after I'm done?"

"Oh, I don't know if now is the best time," she protested, shaking her head as she thought about Jay's text message.

"Aw, come on," the young man said. "We'll have fun... Make a whole day out of it. I promise."

Stacy eyed him and quickly felt a smile returning. Slowly, she nodded.

"Okay... That sounds great."

"Awesome," Shane smirked. He stared at her, contemplating kissing her, but he was a mess. Instead, he said, "I'll meet you back here in fifteen minutes."

She nodded, and he trotted off, fully smug and satisfied.


	28. Chapter 28

**_A/N: Thanks to Kennedy2006, JackieC98, KityKat-1, lizzy-beth-lizzy, WWECenaFan and Mosvie 2k8 for the last batch of reviews. LOL! You guys really do crack me up with your "Stupid Stacy!" and "Shane sucks!" comments. ;) :P I love it, keep 'em coming! Hope you all enjoy this new chapter. :)_**

Jay glanced at the text message he'd just received on his cell phone. Predictably, it was from Stacy. He sighed as he clicked the text closed, then flipped his phone to a close as well.

Amy and Adam exchanged knowing glances. It really sucked that their friend was ditching them. And it was worst for Jay, who'd had a huge crush on the blonde for so long.

"Damn... She's not coming. Says she's already got plans."

Amy seethed on the inside at this revelation. She didn't doubt for one second that these 'plans' had everything to do with a certain jackass named Shane McMahon. She simply didn't get it... What did Stacy find that was so 'special' about the guy?

"That sucks, Jay," Adam said. He took another quick glance at Amy, relieved that she was there. He supposed that, very easily, she too could have been swayed and distracted by another guy, or guys. After all, she was drop-dead gorgeous and could have her pick of any number of them. It seemed just his luck that she'd chosen him.

"Yeah, sorry, Jay." Amy glanced away from the hurt blond young man and winced for him. It was her contention that he needed to physically approach Stacy and tell her about his feelings. She sensed that if that were to happen, things would be vastly different, and that her friend would not be spending all this time with Shane.

She also wondered, not for the first time, if she should tell Jay and Adam about that bet. Initially, she hadn't wanted to do that. She'd felt horrified and ashamed, and she honestly had no idea what they would do if she told them. On the other hand, with Stacy sucked into a world of lies and deceit with that prick, it seemed like a good idea to tell... or, at least to tell Jay. Now that she and Adam were dating, she wasn't sure she wanted him to know just yet. She had a worrying scenario in mind - that he would confront Paul Levesque if she told him the truth. Paul was a lot bigger and stronger, and she was sure it wouldn't be pretty if they fought.

But if she told Jay what kind of trouble - or potential trouble - Stacy was in, she knew he would talk to her. If the leggy blonde listened to any of her friends, it would be him.

An idea began to take shape in the redhead's mind as she continued to consider all of that. She glanced down at the empty tray set before her and cleared her throat.

"Adam... Would you get me another Sprite?" she asked, trying to make her voice as sweet as possible. "And a small plate of fries?"

The blond smiled at her easily and released her hand, which he'd been holding. He rose instantly and took the tray.

"Sure thing." He glanced at his best friend. "Want anything, Jay?"

The young man shook his head.

"Nah, I'm good. But thanks anyway."

Adam walked away to the counter, leaving his girlfriend and best friend alone.

"I'm glad he's gone," Amy said in a loud whisper. "I wanted to talk to you alone."

Jay cast her a questioning look.

"It's about Stacy."

He perked up slightly and shrugged.

"What is it?"

As quickly and thoroughly as she could, the redhead explained about the bet, and the current situation. She made sure to take a look over her shoulder to ensure that Adam was busy by the cafeteria's counter. She could clearly detect the fury building in her friend's blue eyes.

"You have to promise you won't say a word of this to Adam."

Jay stared at Amy in shock.

"Are you kidding? He and I should kick those bastards' asses together!"

"Shh!" Amy glanced over at her boyfriend again. Fortunately, he wasn't even looking their way. "Look, I'll tell him in due time. But I thought you should know. Stacy is stubborn... She won't listen to me. But maybe she'll listen to _you_."

"And why would she do that?" the young blond man asked.

"Because she likes you." She stared at him for a beat as he seemed to be mulling it over. "Please, Jay."

Another furtive look toward the counter told the young woman that Adam was paying for the fries and drink. He would be back in a minute or less.

Her friend seated across from her nodded.

"Okay," he said. "I'll talk to her."


	29. Chapter 29

**_A/N: Thanks to JackieC98, KityKat-1, lizzy-beth-lizzy, Mosvie 2k8, WWECenaFan, Kennedy2006 and caeubona for the last set of reviews. You guys are awesome! :) I have a very good feeling that you will all LOVE this new chapter because of what goes down between a certain two people. :-P And please don't hold back in your reviews, LMAO! Enjoy! ;)_**

Paul's ire increased as he watched her from afar. He was hiding out across the campus, in the grass near the Science building. Fortunately, there was enough shrubbery to keep him concealed.

After Coach Michaels had dismissed him from practice, he'd just taken off, gone for a walk. It had done a little to calm his anger, but that had returned when he'd seen the girl. And of course, she wasn't alone... No, she had company in the form of those two blond twerps.

His face contorted into a deep scowl. Amy had been with Adam Copeland and Jay Reso for the better part of the past two hours at least, and it didn't make him happy. But the worst part of all, the one little detail that had him literally seeing red, was that she and that Adam guy were holding hands! They were very touchy feely and all that. What the hell was that? Paul wondered if the lanky little prick had swooped in and put the moves on Amy while _he'd_ been trying to get to know her. That thought caused him to clench his right hand into a tight fist.

Suddenly, a new, equally distracting pair came into his line of vision. And this time, he found himself gripped by more of a feeling of surprise than anything else.

Stephanie - his now ex-girlfriend Stephanie - was strolling across the campus, and she was not alone. Oh, no... On the contrary, she looked quite happy - _too_ happy, considering how recently she'd broken it off with him after feeling so hurt. She was smiling and walking and talking with a guy. Levesque instantly recognized him as Chris Irvine, who was also a member of the football team - the same one whom Coach had assigned to _his_ position when he'd dismissed him from practice earlier that day. Yet another blond twerp. It completely burned him up.

The day was definitely not shaping up to be in his favor. If anything, it was enough to send the burly quarterback into violence.

*

"So, what do you want to do?" Stacy asked, a bright smile on her face as she looked at Shane. They'd gone for a walk around the football field after his practice, but that was getting old.

"I don't know," the dark-haired young man lied. He cast a gaze at her face with his big brown eyes, studying her. She was so pretty, but she really did seem totally guileless. There was no way he was going to just spit out in words what he _really_ wanted to do with her. He would rather let his actions speak for him when he got her in a private place.

"Oh, come on," the leggy blonde said genially. "There must be _something_ going on in that head of yours. Let's go do something. Your choice - I'm in your hands."

He arched an eyebrow as he stared into her soft brown eyes. He was glad he had a good poker face.

"Really?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I'm up for anything!"

_We'll see about that_, Shane thought. He smirked as Stacy turned to face ahead as they walked... and suddenly, an idea began to take shape in his very devious mind.

"Hey, here's a thought..."

She looked up, her long blonde hair waving slightly in the soft breeze. She still had a tiny smile on her face and appeared so fresh... And Shane had to acknowledge, not for the first, just how pretty she was. He took hold of her hand in his and continued as she eyed him with anticipation.

"... Why don't we just sit under the bleachers and talk?"

The tall blonde girl gave him an odd look, and he could see the question marks in her eyes. He only hoped she wouldn't ask him anything or protest.

"Um... Okay," she replied. "I suppose we can do that for awhile."

_I am so gonna score_! the young man thought. On the inside, he was practically bursting at the seams. On the outside, however, he wasn't giving himself away as he kept his features neutral. In silence, he led Stacy across the field to the bleachers.

They squeezed underneath the seats, and it was relatively dark. However, Shane didn't mind, as there was still enough light for him to actually see her. He wouldn't miss the beautiful sight of the blonde in all her nude splendor for anything in the world. He licked his lips as he envisioned it as they sat down on the soft, fragrant grass of the ground.

Without even uttering a word, Shane was instantly right beside her, his lips seeking hers. Stacy seemed surprised but allowed him to kiss her, and she responded in an instant.

Before very long, and much too quickly, things started to get very hot and passionate. The dark-haired football player was still kissing her, and he laid his body almost fully on top of hers. Stacy was actually enjoying herself for awhile, and she held tightly to him as they made out. But then she suddenly felt Shane's hands beginning to roam.

In spite of her body beginning to respond in a pleasurable manner, the leggy blonde felt uncomfortable. She stopped kissing him and pulled away, moving his hand as well.

"Shane, no... Stop."

"You won't be saying that in another few minutes," he murmured, and he went back to what he'd been doing.

Stacy squirmed, fear and annoyance beginning to grip her. She felt his hand slipping into her panties as he tried to finger her. She refused to give in to the physical sensations and protested again.

"No... Stop it, you're going too fast, Shane!" she cried. She grew dismayed and shocked at the realization that he was actually undoing her pants. In a haste, she used her long legs to kick at him and moved away from him, straightening out her clothing. She glared at him, now definitely angry.

"Oh, come on," he laughed. "You know you want this." He gave her his custom smirk. "And you'll be doing me a favor, too."

Stacy gasped and did the first thing her instincts screamed - she slapped him across the face. After that, she grabbed her bag and bolted to her feet.

"What kind of girl do you think I am?!"

Shane gave her a little snicker.

"Why don't you tell _me_... or better yet, _show_ me?"

The tall blonde could not believe her ears. She simply gaped at him in shock, the horror that Amy had been telling her the truth gripping her now.

"You bastard!" she spat. "All this time, all you ever wanted was to get in my pants, is that it?" She went on before he could respond. "And just to win a stupid _bet_?"

Shane was surprised to hear that come out of her, but he was good enough to hide his true emotions. He tried a different tactic.

"No, I would never-"

"Oh, spare me!" the blonde yelled. She suddenly realized tears were running down her cheeks. "I thought you truly liked me, Shane! Do you have any idea how badly it hurts to know that was just a lie? _Do_ you? Do you even care?!"

He said nothing this time and only stared at her. Finally, he said something, but it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

"So, are we gonna have sex? 'Cause I'm kinda horny right now."

Stacy was incredulous as she stepped farther away from him.

"You want sex? You're horny?" she countered. "Well, you have _two hands_!" With that, she turned and fled from the bleachers, off the football field and far, far away from Shane McMahon.


	30. Chapter 30

**_A/N: Thanks to KityKat-1, caeubona, Mosvie 2k8, JackieC98, Kennedy2006, lizzy-beth-lizzy and WWECenaFan for the last set of reviews. You guys REALLY crack me up! :D I knew what went down between Stacy and Shane would get loads of approval from you! ;) Glad you're still enjoying this story so much. Here's a new chapter for you all, enjoy! :)_**

Amy went back to the dorm with Adam walking her there. They had plans for another date that evening, but she was having trouble discussing them due to distraction.

"Is everything okay?"

"Huh?" She looked up from their clasped hands and into his green eyes.

Adam shrugged.

"I don't know, you just seem a little distant all of a sudden," he pointed out.

"Oh. Sorry. I don't mean to be." The redhead did have a lot on her mind. She was thinking about what she'd told Jay when Adam had been out of earshot. Would he really do as he promised and talk to Stacy? Besides that, Amy also found herself recalling that unpleasant incident with Paul that had happened so recently. What if he tried to do something again?

"Something on your mind?"

She nodded.

"Yeah. I was just thinking about my Calculus class, that's all. Midterms coming up and all that." She managed to smile, and rolled her eyes for emphasis.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you'll do fine," the tall blond said. His handsome face brightened with a smile, and he turned to fully face her now that they'd reached her dorm. He took both of her hands in his. "So... I'll pick you up right here at seven?"

Amy nodded, smiling.

"Yeah... I'll be here."

"Awesome." Adam moved closer to press his lips to hers for a kiss. He raised his hands to her face, cupping it and deepening it a little, loving the sensation of her tongue in his mouth.

The redhead was beaming as they broke the kiss. She gazed up into her new boyfriend's handsome face, feeling suddenly a lot better than she had before. Reaching out a hand to tenderly stroke his cheek, she said softly, "See you later."

Adam waved as they broke apart, and he walked away, allowing her to go up the steps into her dorm building's front door. He turned back just as her hand touched the handle, smiling.

Of course, neither of them saw the angry individual watching them from afar.

*

Amy sighed as she entered the dorm, her thoughts sadly returning to the problematic issues on her mind. She slung her backpack from her shoulder as she reached the door to her room. She pushed the door open and entered, her eyes downcast.

The redhead was surprised as she looked up to see Stacy actually there. The leggy blonde was relaxing on her bed, a textbook open on her lap. Her head shot up as soon as her roommate came in.

"Amy! Thank God you're back!" She closed the book and set it aside.

Amy cocked her head in surprise. This was the most her friend had spoken to her in days. Instinctively, she knew something big must have happened. She kicked off her shoes and set her knapsack down as she sat on the edge of her own bed.

"Hi, Stacy," she said uncertainly.

"I owe you a huge apology. I'm sorry, Amy," the blonde said. She felt really bad, and not only that... She felt like a fool.

The redhead was shocked as she eyed the other girl. But as she continued staring at Stacy, she realized something - it seemed that the leggy blonde had been crying. Her eyes were slightly red and puffy.

Ignoring the apology for the time being, Amy reached a hand out to her friend.

"What happened?"

Stacy bowed her head, ashamed. Her action caused her long, straight blonde hair to fall in two wings on either side of her face. She looked so young and vulnerable all of a sudden.

"You were... right. Shane is nothing but a jackass." She sniffled and raised her head, meeting the other girl's warm hazel orbs. "I should have believed you, Amy. I can't believe I trusted him over you."

The redhead moved so as to gather the blonde into her arms for a hug. She held onto Stacy for a few seconds in silence as the leggy young woman began to softly cry again.

"It's okay... I forgive you," she said. She gave the other girl's slender back a few pats before releasing her.

Stacy wiped at the stray tears that had slipped down her cheeks. She didn't even know _why_ she was crying. Sure, she'd liked Shane, but it wasn't as though he'd been her boyfriend. On second thought, yes, she did know why she had been reduced to tears - it was because he'd played her like a fiddle for weeks. And she'd fallen right into his trap. She felt like such an idiot. Besides, there was Jay, a guy who was sweet and genuinely liked her - a true _friend_... How had she been so stupid as to forget all about him just because Shane McMahon had swooped in?

Finally, finding her voice again, she spoke.

"Thank you... Thank you for being such a good friend."

Amy smiled, and then it increased as, somehow, she'd brought a small smile to her friend's face as well.


	31. Chapter 31

**_A/N: Thanks to lizzy-beth-lizzy, WWECenaFan, KityKat-1, Kennedy2006 and JackieC98 for the last set of reviews. You guys still rock! ;) Enjoy this new chapter!_**

A few hours later, Amy brought Stacy a hot cup of herbal tea. The skinny blonde gratefully accepted it with a smile and thanked her.

"So, you're sure you're going to be okay?"

The leggy girl nodded softly.

"I'll be fine, Amy," she assured her friend. They'd been sitting in their room, talking ever since the redhead had returned to find her so upset. She had let out every last bit of hurt and anger over what Shane had done, and she was genuinely feeling better now than she had earlier. Why had she been so stubborn, though? She shook her head.

"What?" Amy inquired.

"I'm just sorry I didn't listen to you," Stacy said. "I should have done that the second you told me about the bet."

"Well, you just really, really liked him," came the reply as the redhead sipped her own tea. "I guess that coupled with the fact that you wanted to trust him clouded your judgment." She shrugged. "It happens."

"Yeah." The blonde was thoughtful for a moment as she stared down into her tea. She raised her gaze back to her friend and asked, "So, what's been going on lately? I haven't exactly hung out with you or the guys for awhile... I feel like I need to catch up."

Amy suddenly found herself beaming at the mention of the guys. Since they hadn't hung out or even spoken much lately, the other girl didn't even know about her and Adam.

"Well, Adam and I are together now."

Stacy's face brightened as she dropped her jaw with delight.

"What? Are you, really?"

Amy nodded.

"He asked me out a couple of weeks back. We went out to a movie and dinner and are officially dating."

"Amy, that's great!" Stacy squealed, reaching out for her friend. She gave her as best a hug as she could manage, considering their piping hot beverages.

"He's a great guy," the redhead nodded, grinning. She then thought about Jay but knew she wouldn't utter a word of what she was thinking of in particular. That was something he would have to do on his own.

Almost as though reading her thoughts, the tall blonde said, "And Jay?"

"He's all right... Well, he misses you. We've _all_ missed you, Stace."

"Aww." Stacy smiled and was silent as she was thoughtful for a moment. Then, her mood darkening somewhat, she asked, "So, how are things now with Paul?" It was difficult to get his name out, and it nearly stuck in her throat. She'd never liked that guy. How could she have been so dumb about Shane? They were best friends, after all, and your friends were always a reflection of yourself.

Amy's good mood abruptly dissipated at the mention of the big quarterback. God, what a scummy asshole he had turned out to be. She couldn't believe she had ever given him the benefit of the doubt and tried to give him the chance to be her friend.

"He harassed me after History class last Thursday," she admitted in a sour tone.

Stacy's expression grew outraged.

"Oh, God... What happened?"

"He cornered me in the hallway when I tried to ignore him," Amy said. She shuddered as she recalled the incident. "He was so angry, because he also lost his girlfriend thanks to his stupid bet. I was so scared of him, but thankfully, Professor Calloway came by just in time."

The blonde gasped.

"Thank God!" she exclaimed. She could imagine how frightened the redhead must have been. "Are you going to report him?"

Amy emphatically shook her head.

"Not unless he bothers me again." Just as soon as those words left her lips, she knew he _would_ do just that, and probably once the weekend was over. One thing was certain - Levesque just didn't know when to quit, as he didn't seem the type to give up easily. She sighed as Stacy posed another question.

"Does Adam know about this?"

Amy lowered her hazel gaze and shook her head. She still wasn't planning on telling him, either. She didn't want to burden him with the nonsense with Paul if she didn't have to.

"Well, maybe you should tell him," the leggy blonde suggested.

"If I have no other alternative, I will," she promised. Hastily, she changed the subject after that, as it was touchy for her and she didn't want to discuss it anymore.

"So... are you up for meeting the guys?"

Stacy eyed her with a bit of hope.

"Yeah. I'd really enjoy that. I really miss them."

"Well, then, missy... get your shoes on and come on!" Amy cried with a wink.


	32. Chapter 32

**_A/N: Thanks to Kennedy2006, lizzy-beth-lizzy, WWECenaFan, caeubona, KityKat-1 and JackieC98 for the last reviews. I really love the comments/reviews you guys leave for this story! They're always entertaining! :D Anyway, this new chapter is chock full o' drama, with Paul and Shane stirring up the shit again, shall we say... Enjoy it! ;)_**

Paul looked up as a shadow suddenly fell over him. He rolled his eyes, not at all in the mood for a lecture.

"So... Bad break at practice earlier, huh?" Shane smirked.

"Yeah, whatever. And I suppose you're gonna gloat over winning the bet too, huh?"

Shane sat beside his friend on the bench and sighed.

"Well, not exactly."

Levesque turned his head fully to eye his best friend. He had a look of defeat about him, which was a far cry from his typical arrogance.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

The dark-haired man shook his head, averting the quarterback's gaze. It wasn't every day he had to break news this caliber of embarrassing to anyone, least of all to Paul. And he knew his friend would get a kick out of this now that there was no longer a bet to be won.

"She turned out to be a real wet fish," he mumbled.

"What was that?"

Shane repeated himself, adding, "We didn't do it. I tried, but she freaked out. She even hit me." He shook his head as he relived every embarrassing second of the incident.

Levesque appeared surprised for a beat but then burst into a fitful of booming laughter. He couldn't help himself as he got a gander at the dark-haired young man's face. That was just about the funniest thing he'd ever heard!

"Hey, screw you, Paul."

The quarterback clapped a hand to Shane's shoulder.

"Aw, c'mon, you gotta admit that's funny!"

"It wasn't to me," his friend countered. "Actually, it was pretty humiliating." The smirk suddenly returned to his face as he recalled one very key aspect of the incident with Stacy Keibler. "But hey, at least I was _about_ to seal the deal. You, on the other hand, didn't even get close."

Paul's laughter abruptly ended, and he glared at his friend. What a damn wiseguy... But then again, he'd always known Shane McMahon to be that way.

"I guess that means _I_ won. I got to second base with that chick. _You_ didn't even get to go up to bat!" This time, it was Shane's turn to heartily laugh it up. And it felt good to do that at Levesque's expense... _really_ good.

"That's bullshit and you _know_ it!" the burly quarterback exclaimed. The customary deep scowl returned to his face. "_Neither_ of us won that bet. It's off."

The dark-haired young man nodded, but he was still chuckling a bit.

"Yeah... Yeah, you're right. Fair enough. So, what do you say we set our sights on two new chicks, then?"

Paul didn't answer, as he merely sat there, glaring at the ground. His hands clenched into fists, and he appeared to be growing more angry by the minute.

Shane tapped him on the arm.

"Hey... Earth to Paul! You there?"

"Sorry... I was just thinking about that no-good little bitch," came the reply. He shook his head. "No... No, I don't want to bother with a new chick. Let's keep up with our original bet."

His friend gave him the strangest look.

"What are you talking about? They both shot us down, remember?" Shane rolled his eyes.

"So what?" Levesque muttered. "I don't give a shit... All I know is that Amy Dumas made a fool out of me, and _no one_ does that." His eyes glittered dangerously as he met his best friend's eyes and continued. "And besides, as far as I'm concerned, it's _her_ fault my relationship with Steph broke apart."

Shane didn't say a word as he instead kept his gaze firmly on the other man's face. He listened, rapt, barely reacting, at least on the outside, to everything he was saying.

"And for that, the bitch has to pay." Paul's frown grew even deeper and more menacing, almost making him look like a monster. "No," he corrected, "she _will_ pay!"

The other guy still said nothing as he absorbed it all, taking in every nuance, every word. He couldn't recall a time in recent or distant memory that he'd seen his friend quite so angry. He'd never let it be known, but inside, it kind of scared him.

"So, here's what we'll do, Shane," Levesque went on. He leaned closer to his friend and said, "We'll keep our deal of this bet. And damn it, _I'm going_ to win it. You in?"

Shane blinked, understanding exactly what meaning lay behind his friend's menacing words. Slowly, a smirk spread across his face.

"Oh, I'm in."


	33. Chapter 33

_**A/N: Sorry for the delay in this update. I actually do have quite a bit more chapters waiting to be added here. :) Thanks to WWECenaFan, KityKat-1, caeubona, lizzy-beth-lizzy, Kennedy2006 and JackieC98 for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are awesome, as always! ;)**_

The weekend concluded quickly, far too much so for Amy's liking. But things were good again, as she and Stacy were back on speaking terms and friends again.

Too bad she was dreading her history class. The prospect of seeing Paul again, even in a crowded class setting, was enough to make her skin crawl. She knew Professor Calloway would look out for her, but what if the jerk tried to pull something outside of class, or the building?

"So, we're going to all meet up for lunch, right?"

The redhead looked up at Stacy's question. The leggy young woman was smiling brightly, already miraculously over her incident with Shane McMahon. Amy found her amazing. If only she could feel as resilient. Of course, the difference was that Shane, at least, hadn't stalked Stacy all over campus.

"Yeah, of course. The guys are expecting us. I spoke with Adam earlier." She abruptly grew quiet again as she worried about running into Levesque.

"Amy, are you okay?" the blonde asked. She placed a slender hand on her friend's arm.

"Yeah, well... Yeah, I'm okay."

Stacy's smile vanished as concern took over.

"You're worried about running into Paul, aren't you?"

The redhead sighed, nodding.

"Yeah," she admitted. "I really don't want to have to deal with him again. He's... creepy."

"That he is," the blonde agreed with a nod and shudder. "You know, there were always speculations about him across campus."

Amy's head shot into the direction of her friend's face. What was she talking about? She sensed inside that she already _knew_, but she had to hear it from Stacy.

"What speculations?"

The slender blonde sighed. This was difficult for her, and she had a feeling her friend might very well freak out, but she had to say it.

"Well," she explained, "she never really told me, but I think Nora..." She paused, closing her eyes as another shudder went through her.

Amy's eyes widened with shock and horror.

"What _about_ Nora?!"

Stacy swallowed hard and concluded.

"I think Paul was the one who raped her."

"What?!" The redhead gasped, more horror gripping her.

Stacy reached out for her friend's arm in an attempt to calm her. After a deep breath, she said, "Amy, things are different now. The campus upped its security, and you've got Professor Calloway, and-"

"Stacy, my God! I can't believe it!" She bowed her head, stressed out as she stared at her friend's reassuring hand on her arm. Suddenly, a memory came to her, and pieces of some unseen puzzle snapped right into place. She raised her head to meet the blonde's concerned brown eyes.

"Is _that_ why you freaked out my first day here?" she asked. "You know, when we went to the bleachers at the football field?"

Stacy bit her lip, her gaze falling. She felt guilty, and she couldn't deny the truth to Amy. Slowly, she nodded.

"Oh, my God!"

"Look... I'm not going to make any excuses for him," the leggy blonde said. Despite herself, she still couldn't help the guilt she felt coursing through her. "I just know that Nora had a guy she was sort of seeing - in secret. I have no idea if it was him, but..." She bit her lip again and then continued. "... it makes sense for it to be him. I see similarities."

"What do you mean?" the redhead asked, aghast.

"Well, Nora was all secretive and stuff, and being pursued by a guy." She shrugged. "And we both know Paul's been pursuing you."

"So?" Amy asked. "And Shane's been pursuing _you_."

Stacy blanched at those words. She was suddenly at a loss for a response. It was too creepy a thought that the redhead might be right, that Shane could have been the rapist. But if he were, he wouldn't have allowed her to get away. She didn't voice that aloud to Amy, fearing it would further scare her friend. Quickly, the blonde checked the time on the digital clock radio on the nightstand between their beds.

"Jeez, it's getting late. Come on, we'd better get out of here."

The redhead glanced at the time. Stacy was right.

"Great, I'm gonna be late for class!" she groaned.

With that, the two got up and raced out of their dorm.


	34. Chapter 34

_**A/N: Sorry for taking awhile to update this story. It wasn't that I didn't have chapters laying around; I just had to type them up! Anyway, thanks to WWECenaFan, KityKat-1, lizzy-beth-lizzy, Kennedy2006, JackieC98 and Mosvie 2k8 for the last set of reviews. :) The mysteries will all be unveiled sooner or later, and that's a promise. You should all be happy with this new chapter, since Stacy is finally reunited with her buds Jay and Adam. Enjoy! :)**_

"Stay here a minute."

Stacy gave the other young woman a questioning look. She shrugged.

They were right outside the cafeteria. Amy glanced inside and saw at once that Adam and Jay were already there. She turned back to her friend.

"Just do it... We're gonna surprise the guys," she explained.

"Oh," the blonde said, blinking at her as though not quite getting it. She had met the two blond guys for lunch and to hang out dozens of times. Well, then again, they hadn't seen much of each other lately.

The redhead poised a finger up to her lips, smiling. Then, she turned and entered the cafeteria.

"Adam! Jay!" She waved as she made a brisk beeline for the table at which they were sitting.

"Hey, Ames," Adam said, beaming the moment he saw her.

"Hey," Jay said with a more half-hearted appearing smile. The truth was, he missed Stacy. He reminded himself of how Amy had tried to convince him to admit to the leggy blonde that he liked her a lot. On top of that, his best friend had been bugging him to ask her out. He hadn't done either yet, but not due to chickening out. It was back to the fact that he barely even saw her anymore. The only time he did was during the one class they shared, and the last couple of weeks, she had raced off immediately after it.

Instead of sitting down with the them, the redhead opted to stand.

"Guys, you have to come with me... Outside."

"What for?"

"It's important... I need to show you something," she said. She put on her best little pouty face. "Please?"

Adam instantly rose, and she had to fight to keep from bursting out with laughter. How easily he had fallen for that face! She knew if she were the type of girl who made demands on a boyfriend, the tall blond would be totally whipped in no time!

"Can't you just tell us whatever it is?" Jay complained. He was proving himself to not be so much of a pushover, but also that he was quite cranky at the moment.

"No, I can't. Please? It'll only take a minute."

"Oh, fine... But this better be good."

Amy bit the inside of her cheek as she thought, _Oh, it_ will _be_! She practically dragged the two out to the exit. Stacy was standing off to the far right, sort of hidden. She stepped out just as she caught sight of them.

"Surprise!"

"Stacy!" Adam exclaimed. He laughed, glad to see the tall blonde girl.

Jay seemed pretty flustered, as though not sure his eyes weren't simply deceiving him. Then, a smile came to his face.

"Stacy! Where have you been hiding yourself?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes as she hugged him.

"In all the wrong places." It was most definitely the truth. However, she was now past all that and refused to dwell. Shane was not worth her time or worry.

Jay held onto her a bit longer than normal, and Amy and Adam noticed. They exchanged pleased glances, and the redhead made an okay sign with the fingers of her right hand. She was sure the young blond man would open up pretty soon.

"I missed you."

Stacy pulled back slowly to eye him. She smiled softly.

"Yeah, I missed you, too," she said. She patted him on the shoulder. "But I'm going to be around a lot now - like before."

"You promise?" Jay asked, a merry twinkle present in his blue eyes.

The leggy blonde giggled, nodding.

"I promise."

The young blond man grinned and said, "I'm gonna hold you to that, you know."

Stacy smiled.

Adam and Amy eyed each other deviously. They seemed to read one another's minds as he spoke up.

"We're gonna take off."

Jay looked over at him questioningly.

"I thought we were all hanging out?"

"I guess we lied," his best friend said with a shrug. "I'm taking Amy to a movie." He smirked.

The redhead made very much the same gesture as she slipped her hand into her boyfriend's.

"So long, you two... Don't do anything we wouldn't do," she quipped.

Stacy just stared after them as Jay reddened. As their friends disappeared, he swallowed and fixed his gaze back on the blonde.

"Well... Looks like it's just you and me."

"Yeah," she agreed, realizing that Amy and Adam had planned this. She was sure of it.

"You want to go somewhere?" Jay asked. "We can... talk."

"Sure," she said with a small smile.


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N: Sorry for such a long delay between updates! I just got this chapter typed up today. Thanks to lizzy-beth-lizzy, KityKat-1, JackieC98, Kennedy2006 and Leenda for the last set of reviews. You guys are awesome! :D There's trouble in this new chapter, or at least potential trouble - you'll see what I mean by the end of it! Enjoy, and leave plenty of reviews! ;)**_

Paul could barely contain the scowl that crossed his face. He was back in the American history class he shared with Amy, and to say he was pissed would have been an understatement.

He couldn't believe she was dating that lanky blond pretty boy, Adam Copeland. What the hell did that guy have that he _didn't_? For the life of him, he just couldn't figure it out.

And then there was the little matter of Amy having treated him like trash... He'd done nothing to her, nothing at all. Unlike Shane with Stacy, Paul had actually respected the redhead enough to get to know her, and he certainly hadn't tried to make any moves on her. So, how dare she yell at him and make a big to-do over him trying to talk to her?

"Mr. Levesque, are you paying attention?" Professor Calloway's voice suddenly cut in, interrupting his bitter, angry thoughts.

The quarterback cursed inwardly, unable to believe his bum luck. What the hell was Calloway's problem, anyway? It was as though the man had it in for him.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Is that so? What was I just talking about?"

Levesque glanced around the room, his gaze briefly falling on Amy, who appeared still as a statue, her back to him. Apparently, she was not going to turn around like every other student seated in front of his row.

"Err... American history," he replied.

Pretty much everyone in the class burst into collective laughter. That was, everyone but Amy and Professor Mark Calloway - and Paul himself.

"If you're trying to be funny, I'm not amused," the big professor stated. He gave the burly football player a stern look before continuing on with his lecture.

Levesque sat back a bit more, lowering himself in the chair at the desk at which he was seated. He was feeling humiliated. He didn't like being viewed as the class clown... No, he didn't like it one bit.

He spent the majority of the remainder of the class alternately taking notes and staring at the back of Amy's red hair. Somehow, he also noticed, all too well, that Calloway was keeping an eye on him. It seemed every time the teacher addressed the class, he would shift his hard gaze his way, as though monitoring him.

Finally, the class came to a close, and Levesque felt as though he could breathe freely again. He glanced at Amy, but not too long, as a lingering stare would surely alert Professor Calloway. He wanted to be as inconspicuous as he possibly could, or he wouldn't get his chance.

Calmly and quietly, the quarterback left the room, making certain to do so before the redhead had gone. He knew exactly what he had in mind and was relieved when that buttinsky Calloway didn't stop him. He felt the man's eyes on him as he exited the classroom, but not a word did he speak to him.

Amy let out a small, audible sigh as she realized Paul had just stepped out of the room. She had deliberately idled a bit, hoping he would just leave before her and not do the same as her and just so happen to "coincidentally" be leaving at the same time. The guy was trouble, plain and simple. Not for the first time, she mentally cursed herself for ever giving him the time of day, even though it was just as friends.

As she rose with her belongings in tow, Professor Calloway's voice stopped her.

"Miss Dumas?"

She looked up at the big professor, a questioning look on her face.

"How is everything?" the teacher asked, his normally gruff voice softened to a vast degree. There was concern in his face.

"It's going okay."

"Mr. Levesque isn't giving you a hard time anymore?"

Amy shook her head.

"No," she replied. "Thankfully, he isn't."

Calloway nodded at her.

"Good," he said. "But remember... If he starts up again, you know to ask for help." He offered her the slightest trace of a smile.

The redhead nodded, somehow managing a tiny smile of her own.

"Thanks, Professor," she said, grateful.

He nodded cordially at her, and Amy left the room.

She headed down the stairs, not thinking of Paul anymore. She wouldn't have to deal with him since he'd already left several minutes before. She smiled to herself as she instead thought about Adam, and about Stacy and Jay.

The redhead stepped through the exit and out onto the campus. Her good feelings abruptly dissipated, however, as a figure suddenly stepped out from one side, and she felt her shoulder being grabbed.

She let out a gasp of surprise, startled. Of course, it was none other than Paul Levesque... Her emotions quickly shifted to anger.

"You? What do you want now?" she snapped. "Leave me alone!"

"No," Paul replied. "Not until you let me explain something." He tightened his grip on her, now with both hands holding _both_ her shoulders.

Amy shook with all her might, pushing at him as she attempted to free herself. He was so strong, she couldn't even budge him. On top of that, she felt herself beginning to quake with anger. She could literally hear her pulse hammering in her ears as well.

"Let me go!" She shoved at his big, burly chest with as much force as she could muster.

"Only if you agree to talk!"

Amy nearly snarled in rage and frustration.

"We have nothing to talk about!"

She wasn't even aware that they suddenly had garnered a small audience. Students milling about began to gather to watch the scene. Fortunately, one of those students happened to be someone most welcome to the redhead.

"What the hell? Get your hands off her, you bastard!" Adam ran over and easily tugged Amy away from Levesque.

"This is between her and me!" the outraged Paul yelled.

"No... It's not... You leave my girlfriend alone - got it?" the taller young man demanded in a dangerously low tone, a challenge gleaming in his widened green eyes. He might have been giving up a good thirty pounds of weight and muscle to Levesque, but he wouldn't hesitate to beat the crap out of him if he had to.

Paul merely glared daggers at Adam, who didn't even notice at this point. He was too busy tending to the redhead and getting her out of there.


	36. Chapter 36

_**A/N: Thanks to Humpaz2210, lizzy-beth-lizzy, KityKat-1, Kennedy2006, FormerlyKnownasJackie, BigRedMachineUK and BQuinn for the last set of reviews. You guys rock! :D Hope you'll all forgive me for taking EONS to update again. Well, I'm back, and so are Paul and Shane, who are up to no good as usual. :-P What, oh **_**what**_** could they possibly cook up now? Hope you guys enjoy! :)**_

"And so, my parents moved me back to the States... That's my story."

Stephanie eyed the young man, rapt as she intently listened to his story He was so interesting, and definitely nice too look at as well, which added even more to his appeal.

"Well, I'm glad that happened," she said.

Chris Irvine turned his clear blue eyes her way. He noted the tiny smile gracing the brunette's lips and didn't question her, as he knew she was going to continue.

"If your parents hadn't decided to move back, I never would have met you."

The young blond man let out a tiny chuckle.

"True."

Stephanie gazed into his face with more intensity. She knew it was pretty fast, only a week and a half at most, but she knew... She was falling for Chris. But it felt damn good... And she honestly didn't think of it as a rebound. After all, her relationship with Paul had been steadily heading downhill for the last few months of it. No... This was no rebound, this was _real_.

Chris was nowhere near oblivious to the way she was looking at him. It was a nice feeling to have her eyeing him in that manner.

"True," he reiterated. "And thank goodness for their decision."

A full-fledged grin shaped on his face, and Stephanie did something that surprised herself. She didn't just go all out and kiss him, not yet... But she reached across the bench on which they were sitting and grabbed hold of his hand.

Chris smiled softly as he gazed down at their hands, and he gently interlaced his fingers into hers. Yes, this was a really nice feeling, one he could get very used to.

They didn't notice the pair of dark eyes belonging to a young man nearby... Said man was a witness to the sweet moment.

* * *

Paul looked up from arranging his locker as he felt a tap on his shoulder. Without even turning around, he knew it was Shane.

"Hey, man," he murmured.

"Hey." The dark-haired man was silent for a beat as he chewed over how best to broach the subject on his mind.

Levesque fully turned, catching the pensive expression on his best friend's face.

"What?"

Shane shrugged, shaking his head. Then, quick as a flash, he decided that hiding it wasn't the answer... Besides, it was Stephanie's fault that Stacy had rejeced him. After all, she _had_ gone and blabbed about the bet to Amy, who had then in turn revealed it to the blonde. Taking all that into consideration, why should he protect his sister?

"There's something you should know," he said. "About Stephanie."

Paul gave him a strange look, but his interest was piqued for the simple fact that whatever Shane was talking about, it had to do with his ex-girlfriend.

"Oh, yeah?" he asked. "What about her?"

Shane pursed his lips together for a beat, then appeared smug as he spoke again.

"Apparently, she's already moved on from you."

The burly quarterback's nostrils flared in anger. On one hand, he knew he shouldn't care after the way Stephanie had treated him, _humiliated_ him. On the other, it was horribly bruising to his ego to think that she was over him already and had moved onto some other guy. She should have been crying and pining over him, damn it!

"What are you talking about, Shane?" he demanded.

The dark-haired young man lowered his voice to a whisper.

"I just saw my dear little sister... She was with Chris Irvine, holding hands with him."

Paul was struck speechless. He positively saw red right at that moment. And as far as he was concerned, this was yet another thing he could blame that blasted redhead Amy for... If she hadn't come here to transfer to Cannon's Worth, he wouldn't be in any of the shit he was now in!

"That _bitch_!" he spat through clenched teeth. He was actually talking about Amy Dumas, but Shane thought he meant Stephanie.

Shane smirked despite this fact. He eyed his seething best friend calmly, patting him on the shoulder.

"I knew you'd react this way." He gave his friend one last nudge and said, "Well, I gotta get to my locker before Coach comes in and chews me out for not being ready. See you outside, man."

"Yeah, Shane," Levesque muttered. His right hand was in a tight fist, yet he didn't even realize it.


	37. Chapter 37

_**A/N: Thanks to KityKat-1, Kennedy2006, BQuinn, lizzy-beth-lizzy, FormerlyKnownasJackie and for the last set of reviews. You guys rock! ;) The good news is, I've been continuously writing new chapters on paper for this fic. It along with two others has been a mainstay for me, even when I'm far between writing. Things are going to get pretty ugly for someone really soon. Hope you enjoy this new chapter!**_

Stacy smiled to herself as she tried in vain to study for her Calculus exam.

She was in the library, alone. Try as she might, her thoughts kept shifting back to the prior day, when she'd seen Jay and Adam again after her brief absence.

Jay had confessed his feelings to her. Why hadn't she ever seen it before? They'd been friends for more than a year, but she had somehow been oblivious to the fact that the young man had a massive crush on her.

Stacy knew she had always liked Jay in the same fashion. At the same time, she'd always felt so shy as to the idea of telling him. The truth was, she often felt a bit awkward due to her nearly six feet of height. For some strange reason, that insecurity hadn't been prevalent during her brief time dating Shane McMahon. She figured it was due to the heir's smooth ways. He knew exactly what to say and all the right buttons to push in a girl - figuratively speaking, of course.

The blonde made a face at the thoughts of that creep. Why should she waste even a moment focusing on Shane McMahon when Jay was such a good, sweet guy? They had a whole future to look forward to, as they would be going on their first official date that evening. Reminding herself of this fact cheered her right back up, and again, Stacy couldn't help but smile.

Quickly shaking her thoughts off, the blonde refocused on her notes and textbook open on the desk before her. She had to throw herself into it and really concentrate if she wanted to pass this exam. After all, math had never been one of her better subjects.

Stacy was immersed in her studying moments later when a shadow fell across the table from above her. She didn't notice it at first due to her intense concentration, at least not on a conscious level. However, a minute or two later, an odd, creepy feeling suddenly overtook her, and she felt a chill crawl its way up her spine.

The young woman raised her head, her breath held as she strained her ears to hear any telltale sounds. That shadow was long gone, and she couldn't hear anyone speaking nearby. She slowly chanced a glance over her shoulder, her gaze scoring over the library. There were a handful of students nearby, either searching shelves for reading material or sitting at desks like her or on plush armchairs... And then, she spotted him. He was standing far off to a right-hand corner, alone, partly concealed by shadows, but Stacy could clearly make out the smirk on his face as he eyed her.

It was Shane McMahon.

Not exactly knowing why, the blonde grew frightened and caught her breath in her throat. She turned back to her books for a beat, contemplating gathering them up to leave but then thought better of it. After all, why should she allow that jerk to hold that kind of power against her? She had every right to sit in the library and study. It made no difference that Shane was the son of the president and dean of the school. That gave him no superiority over her, no right to intimidate her.

Swallowing back her unease, Stacy turned back to the spot where she'd seen the young man... But he was gone.

As her eyes shifted away from the area, the girl wondered where he had gone, and what might be going through his mind. Somehow, she instinctively knew that whatever he was thinking, it couldn't be good for her. She wondered why such thoughts had penetrated her mind and shrugged to break free of them.

Not five minutes later, she was once again deeply immersed in her schoolwork. She was jotting down particularly important notes when she suddenly felt a hand touching her shoulder.

Stacy gasped and nearly jumped in her chair as she whirled around.

"Hey, easy," came a soft voice.

The blonde squeezed her eyes shut, a breath of relief leaving her lips as she saw that it was Jay.

"Oh, God... Jay. I didn't know it was you."

"Sorry if I scared you, Stace," he replied. "You thought I was someone else?"

Stacy blinked, then shook her head. A smile came back to her face.

"No... No, I was just so focused on my work, that's all."

As Jay pulled over a chair to join her, the young woman wished what she'd said had been the truth.


	38. Chapter 38

_**A/N: Sorry for the bit of a gap between chapters. This story's finally back, though! Thanks to lizzy-beth-lizzy, KityKat-1, BQuinn, FormerlyKnownasJackie and XXDark CloudXXX for the last bunch of reviews. I love reading your feedback! :D I swear, it always makes me laugh, puts a smile on my face and prompts me to write some more! I hope you all enjoy this new chapter... Trouble seems to be brewing by the end of it!**_

Amy smiled and waved as she entered the cafeteria. She instantly caught sight of Stacy and Jay, who were sitting across from one another at a corner booth. She made a beeline over.

"Hey, you two." She removed the knapsack from her right shoulder and slid into the booth beside Stacy. "What are you up to?" She winked at Jay, who was grinning.

"Oh, just getting to know each other even better than we already do," the slim blonde replied with a sweet smile. She glanced at the young man, meeting his bright blue eyes.

The redhead snickered.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable?" she teased. She meant it. She'd never seen Stacy like this, not even over Shane McMahon when she'd been most charmed by him.

"Yeah, I think we are," Jay quipped. He chuckled, ducking his head ever so slightly as he blushed.

"We're going on our first official date tonight," Stacy told her friend.

"Awesome! Where are you taking my girl, Jay?"

"_My_ girl," the blond corrected. "There's this club a couple of miles from here... I figured I'd take her to a concert there. Dinner first, of course."

Stacy was positively beaming. She couldn't believe she had ever given that jerk Shane the time of day when the reality was that she had always had more than an interest in Jay.

"Let me go grab some grub," Amy said, standing and pulling her wallet from her bag. She could see that Stacy and Jay had already gotten lunch, judging by the trays between them.

The redhead was quick in making her selections and soon returned with a cheeseburger and fries. She had a bottle of water with her, so she'd forgone buying a drink. As she placed her tray down on the table, she glanced around. They were missing one.

"Hey, where's Adam?"

"Oh, I almost forgot - he's back at the dorm, sick."

Amy grimaced at this revelation. Her boyfriend had seemed fine the day before.

"Oh, no..."

Jay made a face as he elaborated.

"Yeah, he had to run to the bathroom to puke during Statistics class. Professor Flair made him go see the nurse." He shook his head. "Turns out he had a hundred and one fever," he said. "I hope I don't catch that nasty stomach virus."

"Eww... Poor guy," Stacy said, wrinkling her nose but also feeling sympathetic toward her friend.

Amy suddenly didn't feel hungry anymore. It was due to worry rather than disgust at the details. Nonetheless, she munched on her meal.

"Aww, poor Adam," she breathed. "I guess I'll go see him later, then... Maybe bring him some soup."

"He'd definitely like that," Jay said. "Just make sure you only bring him broth."

The redhead nodded, duly noting this as she ate some fries. She was surprised and disappointed. Why hadn't Adam sent her a text message to let her know he was sick? She supposed it was either because he was too out of it or didn't want to worry her - or maybe a little of both. Somehow, all possibilities touched her.

* * *

Paul scowled as he caught sight of Stacy Keibler and Jay Reso sitting with Amy in the cafeteria. He wasn't headed that way in particular but on his way to the football field, and their table happened to be in his line of view on his way. He wondered where that blond bitch Adam Copeland was, and why he wasn't there with them.

"Hey, Paul! Wait up!"

The quarterback turned at the voice of his best friend, stopping to allow him to catch up.

"Hey," he said absently.

"Didn't you hear me? I called you like three times," Shane complained.

"Nope... Sorry, though," Levesque said, his gaze trailing back toward the cafeteria.

McMahon instantly followed his friend's line of vision and smirked.

"Oh, I see... I totally get it now," he said. He glanced back over at Stacy and shrugged. "I don't know what she sees in _him_."

Paul scoffed as well.

"That little punk and his BFF Copeland got nothing on us."

And as far as he was concerned, that was the truth. He and Shane came from affluent families. From what he understood about Jay, he came from a modestly lower middle-class family. As for Adam, it was pretty much the same except that he didn't have a father. Word was that his mother had never married the man because he'd up and left her before Adam had been born. Paul found it hilariously ironic, because he'd always _known_ the guy was a bastard.

"Well, I heard a little nugget of what could be good news for you," Shane began, the smirk still present on his face.

Paul eyed him expectantly.

"Yeah? And what might that be?"

"Copeland's sick," the dark-haired young man revealed. "Some sort of stomach thing. Plus, he's running a fever. He was excused from classes for the rest of the day... Which means..."

"Which means," Paul continued for his friend, a wide, sadistic smile spreading across his face, "he won't be around to interfere if I choose to get close to that red-haired bitch later today."

"Precisely." The elder McMahon sibling patted him on the back, a small smile touching his lips. "Oh, and by the way," he added, "it looks like my sister and that twerp Irvine have been getting really close as of late."

His smile vanishing, Paul turned his gaze back to Shane. He could feel his blood boiling again already.

"Is that so?"

"Oh, it's so," came the reply. Shane couldn't help but smirk again, as he knew they would be on the football field in no time. He only hoped Paul would be in a mood to rough up Chris Irvine. He would take great pleasure in getting to witness that.


	39. Chapter 39

**_A/N: Hey, everyone! SO sorry it's taken me months to finally update again! I managed to write this new chapter awhile ago and finally got around to adding it. Drama again, as usual! Thanks to BQuinn, Kennedy2006, FormerlyKnownasJackie, lizzy-beth-lizzy and devin for the last reviews. Always love the reviews you guys leave me! :D Hope you enjoy this new installment and forgive me for taking so long! ;)_**

Chris Irvine smiled to himself as he pulled on his football gear. He couldn't help it, not when his head was full of thoughts of Stephanie McMahon.

He had always had a bit of a crush on the pretty brunette, but he never thought he would have a chance because she had a boyfriend. It was just his luck that she'd suddenly become free, and it was true that patience was a virtue.

All of a sudden, all the breath left Chris in a 'whoosh' as he found himself forcibly shoved, back-first, up against the lockers. His eyes opened to focus on a most irate-looking Paul Levesque, his huge nostrils flaring, face red as he held onto the smaller young man's uniform.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Chris spat, giving the quarterback a shove. The action and words only seemed to enrage Levesque more.

"You little prick! You're messing with my girl!" He swatted at the smaller guy's blond head.

"Hey! Newsflash, she's not _your_ girl anymore, asshole!" The younger man swung out and punched Paul. It wasn't like the guy didn't deserve it.

The next thing anyone knew, the two were going at it against the lockers. Mayhem was beginning to ensue as some other guys yelled, "Fight! Fight!"

Shane raced over just in time to see his best friend and Chris Irvine beating the hell out of each other on the locker room floor.

"Hey!" Coach Michaels' voice resonated through the area, echoing off the walls. He clapped for added emphasis. "Knock it off - _now_!"

Paul ignored the man, instead blindly swinging at the smaller young man. That didn't last too long, however, as he suddenly felt himself literally plucked up by the back of his uniform.

"That's it!" the coach yelled, his face contorted with anger. "Levesque, you're out!"

Paul stared at him with his jaw slack, his face draining of all its color.

"What? Coach, no! You can't do that!"

"Like hell I can't! You've been nothing but trouble these past few weeks!" Michaels reminded him. He looked past Paul and at Chris, who seemed to be shaking off the remnants of the fight. "You okay, Irvine?"

The blond man shook his head.

"I think so." However, closer inspection determined that he'd actually lost a tooth in the fray.

"No, you're not," Coach Michaels said, noting the damage in addition to the obvious bleeding mouth on the young man. "You're excused from practice today."

"But Coach..."

"No buts - get yourself to the nurse, pronto."

Chris nodded and touched his jaw, noticing how painful his mouth felt.

"Yes, sir."

Shane smirked as he watched the blond young man grab his stuff and leave. Then, his gaze fell back to Paul and the smirk vanished. He couldn't believe things had gotten to the point where his best friend was actually getting kicked off the football team!

"Coach, please," Paul began, in a pitiful attempt to appeal to the man. "Have a heart!"

"Oh, cut the crap, Levesque! I don't know what's gotten into you, but I can promise that was your last strike. You're out." Michaels gave him a stern look as he went on. "I'm reporting you to the dean."

"No... Please," the now former quarterback begged. Now, he truly felt nervous. After all, if Coach Michaels reported him to Dean McMahon, he would have to go see her, and if that happened, how would he explain his actions? McMahon would know it had everything to do with her own daughter... And then what?

"Okay, men - outside, now!" the coach called, gesturing with both arms and directing the players to the field. Everyone responded in kind, although Shane lingered for just a few seconds.

Paul stayed rooted to his spot as Michaels turned to leave as well.

"You can't get away with this."

The coach turned back to note the furor in the amber-colored eyes of the younger man.

"Is that so?" There was no hint of fear or malice in Michaels' voice.

"Yeah... You can't cross me and get away with it. Just know that." Paul scowled deeply at the older man before finally departing at the locker room. He was infuriated, and full of disbelief over what had just transpired. He blamed that ass Irvine, his ex-girlfriend Stephanie, Coach Michaels, Adam Copeland and especially the red-haired bitch, Amy Dumas. Yes... _All_ of them were to blame for this mess.

He was incredulous that he had actually been kicked off the football team. What the hell...? The Badgers were nothing without him - _nothing_! They would surely go on a huge losing streak the likes of which they would never pull out of.

He walked across the campus, still extremely angry. He would make Amy pay... Hell, he still had plans for her, and the bet between him and Shane was still intact, he reminded himself. He was certainly looking forward to the next time he would run into her. Hopefully, there would be no Adam Copeland, Professor Calloway or some other obstacle standing in his way.


End file.
